St. John’s Alumnus Helps to Lead 2022 Harvard Law School Commencement as a Class Marshal

When Mohammed Jagana ’18C recently graduated from Harvard Law School, he served as one of six class marshals, a distinguished position to which he was elected by his fellow members of the Class of 2022.

As a Harvard Law School Class Marshal, Mr. Jagana, who earned a Juris Doctor degree on May 26, represented his class at the Harvard Law School Class Day and the Harvard University Commencement. Four years ago at St. John’s University, Mr. Jagana graduated summa cum laude from St. John’s College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, earning a Bachelor of Arts degree in Government and Politics. He also minored in Business Law.

The Harvard class marshals are responsible for organizing social and graduation-related events throughout the academic year, including Class Day and the Barristers’ Ball. They are also charged with organizing the law school’s annual Last Lecture Series.

“It is a great honor to represent Harvard Law School in this way,” Mr. Jagana said. “I see it as an extension of a similar honor I held while representing St. John’s in a variety of public roles and venues.”

Mr. Jagana said his various experiences at St. John’s—which included serving in the President’s Society, the University’s highest honor society, and earning a Fulbright US Scholar award as an English teaching assistant in the Netherlands—as well as membership in the Skull and Circle Honor Society and on the Multicultural Advisory Committee, helped to prepare him for other Harvard pursuits, such as his work as a student attorney with the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau.

His responsibilities at the bureau included providing direct legal services to low-income clients who faced eviction in the greater Boston, MA, area. Mr. Jagana also served as a resident tutor at Harvard in the areas of prelaw, social and environmental justice, and race relations.

Mr. Jagana is considering a career in government-facing international law—an idea that predates his undergraduate years at St. John’s. “I always want to view the ways in which I can have a positive impact on the lives of people around the world,” he said. “I always want to explore more about how I can use the law as a tool to improve the lives of others.”

“Mohammed is like a gift, always searching and seeking to help others, especially those who are most vulnerable in the world,” said Konrad Tuchscherer, Ph.D., Associate Professor of History, and Director of External Scholarships and Fellowships at St. John’s. “He measures success by the impact of his actions and finds joy in energizing others. As he continues to do great things in life, he will remain true to his St. John’s roots. We are very proud of him.”

A native of Seattle, WA, Mr. Jagana chose St. John’s for his undergraduate studies, in part, because of a strong desire he fostered since childhood to live in New York City. “St. John’s enabled me to have direct access to New York City, while enjoying a beautiful University campus experience,” he said.

After his graduation, Mr. Jagana will assume a judicial clerkship with the US District Court for the Southern District of Florida in Miami, FL, followed by a clerkship with the US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit in Portland, OR.