Jonathan Ulicny ’27 won Susquehanna University’s annual Gene R. Urey Memorial Scholarship competition, which awards students who demonstrate superior critical thinking and analysis in the study of constitutional law.
At this year’s competition, both participants — Ulicny and Bailey Blaschak ’25 — were awarded scholarships for going above and beyond their work in the classroom. The judges determined that Ulicny presented the winning argument in the U.S. Supreme Court case Mahmoud v. Taylor, which asks whether public schools burden parents’ religious exercise when they compel elementary school children to participate in instruction on gender and sexuality against their parents’ religious convictions and without notice or opportunity to opt out.
Ulicny argued the respondent’s side, or the Montgomery County School District, which states that including reading materials reflective of LGBTQ ideas did not violate the petitioner’s constitutional rights under the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment.
“The overall thesis of my argument was that, because of the precedent presented in numerous other cases, the failure of the case to meet the requirements of direct or indirect coercion, and the positive influence that inclusive lessons provide to classrooms, these stories and the removal of an opt-out policy from them did not violate the parents’ First Amendment rights,” Ulicny explained.
Ulicny is a legal studies major with a minor in management from Tamaqua, Pennsylvania. He is also a member of the pre-law and Honors programs, as well as the Student Government Association, Pre-Law Society and Theta Chi fraternity. Ulicny works in Susquehanna’s Leadership & Engagement Office and Department of Political Science, as well as the Union County Public Defender’s Office. After his undergraduate studies, Ulicny plans to attend law school before becoming a practicing attorney.
“I took away a wealth of new skills from this experience,” Ulicny said. “There are very few other experiences at Susquehanna like the Urey competition, and competing in the event allowed me to present arguments succinctly in a courtroom-like setting. It also taught me lessons in listening to others and creating compelling arguments.”
Blaschak is a legal studies major from Dillsburg, Pennsylvania. In addition to his academic pursuits, he was a four-year member of the football team. Throughout his time at Susquehanna, Blaschak has completed internships with the Union County Public Defender’s Office, the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections’ Bureau of Reentry Coordination and Magisterial District Court 08-3-04, gaining hands-on experience in various facets of the U.S. justice system. Upon graduating in May, Blaschak plans to pursue a career in law enforcement, aiming to positively impact his community by serving as a police officer.
Scholarship participants were mentored by Bruce Ficken ’70, Ryan Gleason ’04 and Thomas Sutcliffe ’06.
Judges for the event were Amanda DiPolvere ’96, associate dean for enrollment, career development, planning & transition, Penn State Law; James Kleman Jr. ’98, senior deputy counsel of the Judicial Conduct Board of Pennsylvania; Judge Michael Piecuch of the Pennsylvania Court of Common Pleas for the 17th Judicial District; and District Judge Rachel Wiest-Benner ’97.
