By Ethan Broschart

Maryland Sen. Guy Guzzone inspired University of Maryland students last Tuesday as he reminisced on his own journey at UMD and how it brought him back to campus, specifically to Thurgood Marshall Hall.

Guzzone, a UMD alum, served as the third guest speaker in an event hosted by the School of Public Policy in partnership with the Maryland chapter of the American Society for Public Administration on Oct. 15. He followed Comptroller Brooke Lierman, who spoke in April 2024, and a panel of chief administrators from Maryland counties that visited in September 2023.

During the talk, Guzzone emphasized his role as chairman of the Budget Taxation Committee in the state senate, mentioning the $63 billion budget he manages and how his decisions have impacted the UMD campus.

“It’s pretty gratifying to be standing here in this building right now because … I’ve had a role in this building,” Guzzone said, referring to Thurgood Marshall Hall, which opened in 2022.

Marveling at the building and joking about his old classrooms in Morrill Hall, the oldest academic building on campus, he referred to his work that brought Thurgood Marshall Hall to campus as “an extraordinary opportunity.” 

Guzzone was first elected to the Maryland Senate in 2015, representing District 13, which covers parts of Howard County. As Guzzone opened the floor to audience questions, he summarized his involvement and passion for local politics.

“In a democracy, we have a job to represent, and we have a job to lead, and hopefully those two come together,” Guzzone said. 

Kate Frick, a freshman public policy major, said she drew inspiration from Guzzone’s career and admired him for the tough decisions he makes.

“What really stuck out to me was his journey and how adamant he was that it gets better, how decisions can get really tough, but you have to stick to your gut,” Frick said. “I think especially since he went to the University of Maryland, it gives me faith that I can do some more things.” 

Guzzone completed both undergraduate and graduate degrees at UMD. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in economics and government and politics in 1986 and his Master of Public Administration in public management in 1988. 

As the School of Public Policy and the American Society for Public Administration continue their recent partnership, bringing Guzzone to campus was a natural move as they look to attract more alumni working in policy and public administration to UMD, according to Bryan Kempton, director of Career Services and Alumni Relations at the School of Public Policy. 

“My hope is that students who come to events like this are able to see themselves in his shoes one day … the skills they’re learning, experiences that they’re having, could often and might ultimately culminate in a career as successful as his,” Kempton said. 

Kempton touched on the wish to bring awareness of these events to students of all majors, as the work and words of Guzzone and other speakers can apply to a wide audience, especially students navigating the professional world. 

“A lot of [Guzzone’s] motivation for doing the work comes from a very personal place. It comes from his personal passions. It comes from what he says, our inequities in the world that we all share and his ability to make that better…to have that impact. It’s what we’re all about at the School of Public Policy.”

Featured Image: Maryland Sen. Guy Guzzone listens to an audience member asking a question. Photo by Ethan Broschart.