Junenoire Fonte, left, and Bailey Hayes will serve as student marshals for the Class of 2025's commencement ceremony.
DALLAS, Pa. — Junenoire Fonte and Bailey Hayes have been selected as student marshals for the Class of 2025’s commencement ceremony, Penn State Wilkes-Barre Chancellor and Chief Academic Officer Lynda Goldstein announced.
Commencement begins at 10 a.m. on Saturday, May 10, in the Athletic and Recreation Building and will also be livestreamed.
Student marshals are chosen based on academic excellence. They lead the procession of graduates during the commencement ceremony. Hayes will introduce the speaker, Joseph Boylan.
“We commend Junenoire and Bailey for their achievements in and out of the classroom,” Goldstein said. “They represent the best of our graduating class, and we are honored to have them lead their peers at commencement."
Junenoire Fonte
Junenoire Fonte will earn her degree in information technology. A resident of Hanover Township, she graduated from Milford High School in New Hampshire.
“I’m excited for this opportunity and honored that my hard work and persistence has been the winning formula to be asked to be in this position,” Fonte said. “Before starting college four years ago, I had been out of school for over 20 years and didn’t believe that education was for me. My early school years were challenging; I was held back a grade while my mom was in and out of the hospital recovering from multiple strokes. I also struggled with dyslexia, and back then, schools lacked the support systems that exist today for students like me.”
She said that through dedication to her studies; the support of others, especially her husband, Keegan; and advances in technology, she was able to keep up with the challenges that faced her. As an adult learner, Fonte has balanced academics in addition to her role as a mother of two children, ages 7 and 3.
She said she appreciates Penn State Wilkes-Barre’s attention to students of all needs, including the Office of Student Disability Resources and Auraleah Grega, learning support coordinator.
“Auraleah has been a great resource and a listening ear for me. She understands the challenges of being a nontraditional learner,” Fonte said. “She is able to guide me toward what support is available and provide me with a distraction-free area for studying and tests.”
Fonte attended photography school and lived and worked in New York City as a professional photographer for commercial and portrait photography and as a photo editor at W.W. Norton & Co. She has also had a long-term commitment to direct and supply graphic support of a scholarly digital project at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
She transferred to Penn State Wilkes-Barre from Luzerne County Community College. While a student at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, she received the Irene Thomas Memorial Award from Arts at Hayfield and the University’s President Walker Achievement Award in 2024. She is a consistent dean’s list student.
Fonte said she hopes to combine her passion for art with her skills in computers and technology. She works as an independent contractor assisting individuals with their information technology needs. She also continues to consult with up-and-coming photographers, providing guidance to them as they launch their careers.
Bailey Hayes
Hayes, who will earn her degree in criminal justice, grew up in the Lake Lehman and Mountain Top areas and now lives in Hunlock Creek. She is a graduate of Crestwood High School and Wilkes-Barre Career and Technical Center.
“It is an absolute honor to be chosen as a student marshal,” Hayes said. “My experience at Penn State Wilkes-Barre has been more than anything I could have ever hoped for. It’s been everything I want and more.”
Hayes is involved in numerous clubs and organizations at Penn State Wilkes-Barre, serving as president of Nittany Gives, treasurer of Students For Justice, secretary of the Military Appreciation Club and a member of Lion Ambassadors.
She completed an internship at the Domestic Violence Service Center and works as a direct support professional for FUNctional Connections and a police clerk for the municipality of Kingston. She is also serving an internship with the Luzerne County Child Advocacy Center.
“Since I want to work in law enforcement, I know I will be working with a variety of populations,” Hayes said. “That’s why I wanted to work with and learn more about all types of people even while I’m still in college.”
She earned her associate degree in criminal justice from Luzerne County Community College, where she took several classes with Fonte.
“I have wanted to work in law enforcement since I was about 4 years old,” Hayes said. “There was never a moment in my life where I wanted to work in a field where I didn’t help people.”
She took her first law enforcement class in 10th grade and said her interest in the field has continued to grow. She hopes to work for the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, initially as a police officer and later as a human trafficking investigator.
