For Franklin & Marshall College student Julia Walsh ’28, choosing her college felt like a foregone decision. She’d applied to a range of schools but fully expected to enroll at a large university in Philadelphia. But those plans shifted the moment she visited F&M’s admitted student day.

“We went on the campus tour, and at the end of the day, my mom said, ‘This is the only school you’ve smiled at; I can tell you really like this place,’” Walsh remembers. She hadn’t anticipated that kind of connection. Yet something about the campus, the conversations and the atmosphere stayed with her after she left.

Later that weekend, while working a shift at a small family-owned restaurant in her hometown, the feeling returned. She had been introduced to a customer whose daughter had just graduated from F&M. Hearing about another student’s experience — and seeing the pride in that parent’s voice — confirmed it for her. That night, she committed to the College.

Walsh is planning to major in earth and environmental science with a minor in applied mathematics, potentially adding in a graduate degree in environmental engineering. She envisions a career that is both hands-on and mission-driven, one that allows her to apply the scientific skills she’s developed with the most pressing environmental challenges of the future. F&M’s academic and campus environment, she says, has given her space to grow in more directions than she expected.

“I like the smaller classes. I like that I have a personal connection with my professors. I can go to their office hours, and they know me by name. That was one of the things that I had been scared about: If I went to a bigger school, I wouldn’t have that personal connection,” she explains. “I also really like Lancaster. It’s really walkable, and my friends and I can walk downtown and go to a coffee shop and study.” Those everyday experiences, she adds, have impressed friends who attend much larger universities.

“I know that everyone says it takes time to find your people at college, but I found my people.”

— Julia Walsh ’28

She’s also found joy in exploring subjects outside her major. At F&M, she didn’t have to turn down an introductory drawing class just because it was outside her science-centered career goals. “At F&M, the [general education] courses that we take kind of make you step out of your comfort zone ... it helps you choose a class that you might not have chosen if you didn’t have to take one,” she says.

Beyond academics, Walsh discovered community in ways she hadn’t imagined. As a member of Kappa Delta (she’s a member of the sorority’s executive board), she found a meaningful circle of support. This year during True Blue Weekend, she helped make pancakes for Pinwheels and Pancakes, the sorority’s annual breakfast social, giving her a chance to meet alumnae and hear stories from their own time on campus. (She says next year she’ll help with the planning!)

“I just could not imagine what it would’ve been like if I hadn’t joined,” she says. “I know that everyone says it takes time to find your people at college, but I found my people.”

Walsh is also quick to acknowledge what made all of this possible. “I am really thankful for the scholarship from a college like this ... F&M was actually the school that gave me the most aid. If I had received less financial aid, I wouldn’t have been able to attend or do the other things that I’m doing now as a student,” she says.

For her, F&M isn’t just where she studies; it’s where she’s found direction, community and the confidence to approach her future with purpose. 

“I am really thankful for the scholarship from a college like this.”

We’re dedicated to making an F&M education affordable for all. Discover how, by offering need-based and merit-based financial aid, we’re able to welcome talented students like Julia Walsh ’28. “I am really thankful for the scholarship from a college like this. If I had received less financial aid, I wouldn’t have been able to attend or do the other things that I’m doing now as a student,” Walsh said.

Explore Financial Aid at F&M »