Brendan Marshall, M.P.A. '18
Constellation Energy
Jan. 11, 2019
On Dec. 17, Brendan Marshall surprised his family as he took the stage as the graduate student speaker at UBalt's Fall Commencement ceremony.
"Being a student speaker was exciting," Marshall says. "Before I could say goodbye to UBalt, I wanted to give a speech."
Marshall envisioned being a student speaker at commencement as early as last April, so when he was chosen by the selection committee it was an easy decision to accept.
"The end was within reach, public speaking is always a special opportunity, and there were still a few things worth sharing with my fellow graduates and the greater audience."
Marshall joined the UBalt community in 2015 after moving back to his native Baltimore from Texas.
"I attended UBalt because it was one of the only schools in the entire state with a College of Public Affairs in my backyard," he says. "After some work experience out of state, I suddenly felt strongly about a degree in public administration. UBalt was a natural choice once I returned to Baltimore."
Reflecting on his experience at UBalt, Marshall valued the rich inclusion of ideas, perspectives, and points of view from his classmates.
"The friendships gained and their impressions upon me will remain past graduation," says Marshall. "Those new friends, all from distinctly different backgrounds, shared outlooks on life that opened my eyes to unfamiliar perspectives. My life was enriched through the diversity of my classmates."
Looking beyond graduation, Marshall plans to remain at his current employer Constellation Energy, applying lessons he learned from the M.P.A. program to enhance processes, problem solving, and daily management operations. He will also be taking time to volunteer, decompress, and spend time writing his first book, which will be completed by December.