In her time on campus, Roselyn Ovalles ’26 has worn many Diplomat hats: NATO researcher. Susquehanna River scientist. Junto Honors Society member. Symphonic wind ensemble musician. Ben’s Underground manager. 

Her story began with generous donors to Franklin & Marshall.

“As a first-generation college student, I decided on F&M for meeting my financial needs as well as its amazing earth and environmental science program,” said Ovalles, of York, Pa. She is a double major in earth and environmental science and Spanish while also completing an F&M certificate in sustainability planning. 

Ovalles took her scientific studies to a new level thanks to the Schapiro-Cadwell Internship Endowment, which funded a five-week internship with the Lower Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association (LSRA).

Generously founded by Mary Schapiro, Esq. ’77, P’16, P’18, and her husband, Charles P'16, P'18, the endowment supports students in unpaid or minimally paid internships in non-profit or public sectors with a focus on public policy, sustainability, conservation or the environment.

"This internship was the perfect opportunity to contribute to meaningful water quality monitoring, engage in citizen science, and apply my academic experience in the real-world field and lab settings."

Roselyn Ovalles ’26

 

Headquartered in Wrightsville, Pa., LSRA is a watchdog nonprofit dedicated to improving the ecological health of the Susquehanna River watershed and the Chesapeake Bay. 

“I am very interested in how climate change intersects with public health, international relations, community engagement and conservation,” Ovalles said. 

Ovalles and fellow student Grace Uwezukwe ’26 teamed up with LSRA staff and volunteers for weekly collection of water samples at 22 sites along the Susquehanna and its many local tributaries. 

“This internship was the perfect opportunity to contribute to meaningful water quality monitoring, engage in citizen science, and apply my academic experience in the real-world field and lab settings,” she added. 

Other tasks included riverside cleanups, macroinvertebrate studies and community kayaking trips. Ovalles was also excited to leverage her Spanish language skills, a role she said “makes me feel more connected to my culture and heritage.” 

“I was involved in the Spanish translation process, ensuring that members of the nearby Hispanic communities were able to easily access information and healthy swimmable recreational waters,” she said. 

In previous semesters, Ovalles has contributed to a NATO-funded land-mine detection project led by Tim Bechtel, director of F&M science outreach and senior teaching professor of geosciences.

Ovalles credits the College’s focus on experiential learning for priming her to succeed in academic endeavors on and off campus. 

“The field-based learning opportunities that the earth and environmental science department prioritizes help me feel more connected with nature and allow me to witness what is taught in a classroom setting, in the real world,” she said.