UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State World Campus has announced two graduates who will be recognized for their contributions to their professions and society with outstanding alumni awards.
Carmen Paredes, a 2018 graduate, and Megan Brosious, a 2014 graduate, are the recipients of the 2024 Penn State World Campus Outstanding Alumni Awards. Parades and Brosious will be recognized later this year during awards ceremonies hosted by the academic colleges from which they earned their degrees online.
Paredes earned a Bachelor of Arts in Economics and minored in political science through programs offered in partnership with the Penn State College of the Liberal Arts. Today, she is the CEO and founder of the companies Ruruka and Marajá. Brosious earned a Master of Health Administration, offered in partnership with the Penn State College of Health and Human Development. She currently serves as the executive vice president and chief operating officer of Geisinger, a regional health system in Pennsylvania.
The awards are sponsored by the Penn State Office of the Vice Provost for Online Education and coordinated through the Office of Development and Alumni Relations for Penn State World Campus.
“Carmen and Megan were exceptional students, and their successes have continued into their careers. Both bring Penn State into their communities through their leadership and commitment to their work,” said Renata Engel, the vice provost for Online Education at Penn State. “Carmen is a determined entrepreneur who continues to create new opportunities for personal and professional growth. Megan is a leader in Pennsylvania health care who prioritizes high-quality care to the local communities Geisinger serves. We are proud of their professional achievements, and they are truly outstanding Penn State World Campus alumni.”
Outstanding Alumni Award — undergraduate recipient
In 2015, Carmen Paredes was ready to pursue higher education but didn’t want to leave Paraguay. She began researching top-ranked universities and saw Penn State World Campus ranked on U.S. News & World Report’s “Best Online Programs.”
"That’s when I discovered I could complete my degree online at one of the best universities in the world,” she said. “It was the perfect balance — getting a top-tier education while staying in Paraguay.”
Paredes said the decision to enroll online through Penn State World Campus has shaped her personal and professional paths.
“In Latin America, online education wasn’t common, and people would look at me like I was doing something strange. But that experience prepared me for entrepreneurship in ways I couldn’t have imagined,” Paredes said. “Studying online required resilience, discipline, and the ability to step out of my comfort zone — all of which are key in entrepreneurship.”
Paredes founded Ruruka, a start-up that transforms industrial waste into sustainable solutions, and Marajá, an award-winning artisan chocolate business. She continues to pursue entrepreneurial opportunities. Paredes credits her experience studying economics and political science online for preparing her to be a successful entrepreneur.
“Looking back, it gave me an incredibly strong foundation for my journey as a founder,” Paredes said. “It also gave me the confidence to dream bigger and that anything is possible.”
Paredes completed her degree while living in Paraguay but said that Penn State is much more than a geographical place. She is an involved alumna and pays it forward to future Penn State alumni through internships at her businesses.
Outstanding Alumni Award — graduate recipient
Megan Brosious said she hit a ceiling in career development due to not meeting educational requirements for future positions at Geisinger. After a conversation with a mentor, Brosious knew she needed to pursue a graduate degree to reach her career goals.
She enrolled in 2012 in the first cohort of the Master of Health Administration. Brosious said the program’s academic content is important and what she learned from her peers in the cohort is invaluable.
“The people are what make this program so great,” she said. “I learned as much from them and their experience in areas of health care that I am not involved in as I did from the great professors.”
While the master’s program provided Brosious with the credential she needed to apply for a promotion, it also gave her the opportunity to further her confidence.
“I grew to not only value my own skills and ability to lead but what my organization has to offer to people who want to do good. I have been able to say ‘yes’ when tapped several times since graduating to accept roles leading important work, to apply for new positions, and help grow talent. I would not have been able to travel this part of my career path without Penn State World Campus,” Brosious said.
Geisinger named Brosious its executive vice president and chief operating officer in March 2025. She previously served as the chief administrative officer of Geisinger’s Central Region, which includes six counties in northern Pennsylvania.
Recognizing alumni
Each year, Penn State World Campus recognizes outstanding alumni from among the more than 40,000 all-time graduates. Nominations open each spring.
Nominees must be graduates of Penn State World Campus, having earned an associate, bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral degree.
Past recipients of the Penn State World Campus Outstanding Alumni Awards have been honored for their service in the military and advancements in health care, community, cybersecurity, and supply chain management.
A Penn State degree online
Penn State World Campus has been offering a Penn State degree online for more than 25 years and has a comprehensive selection of more than 200 degrees and certificates now available.
Visit the Penn State World Campus website for more information about learning online.