F&M Stories
‘Transformational Experience’: Fellowship Connects Grad to Family Roots
Franklin & Marshall graduates have a long history of securing prestigious fellowships and research opportunities across the globe. In this series, we spotlight alumni living, teaching and learning abroad. The World Needs Diplomats. Will you be next?
Lisbeth Marquez-Delgado '21 didn’t waste any time putting her degree in government and Spanish to work. Now living in Mexico, she is one of 11 F&M young alumni awarded Fulbright fellowships in 2023. Fulbright is the U.S. government’s flagship international educational exchange program.
Marquez-Delgado’s Fulbright English Teaching Assistant (ETA) fellowship has given her a chance to not only empower Mexican students, but gain a better understanding of her own cultural roots.
Lisbeth Marquez-Delgado '21
- Fulbright location: Texcoco, Mexico
- Hometown: Portland, Ore.
- Double major: Government and Spanish
Why did you choose your specific Fulbright location (Mexico)?
The Fulbright English Teaching Assistant fellowship is the culmination of my academic, work and volunteer experience, which focuses on my cultural heritage. As a Mexican-American, I felt driven to immerse myself in my family’s home country to further understand local traditions and the education system. Additionally, being bilingual is an essential tool, and I wanted to provide my knowledge of English to help Mexican students broaden their communication and professional skills.
Throughout these past few months, I have instilled a classroom culture of self-empowerment while working with high school youth. Fulbright has been a transformational experience for me because I get to collaborate with youth while also empowering myself to be proud of my dual identity.
"Fulbright has been a transformational experience for me because I get to collaborate with youth while also empowering myself to be proud of my dual identity."
What steps did you take after graduating from F&M?
After I graduated in 2021, I had the opportunity to enhance my teaching skills by
serving as an AmeriCorps member with the college preparatory program College Possible. I was a College Possible student and worked at my former high school, so it was
a full-circle experience. During summer 2022, I interned at a Latina-owned marketing
firm (Lara Media), where I played a key role as the volunteer coordinator for El Grito in Portland, which celebrates Mexico’s Independence Day.
In my second year after F&M, I worked as a housing paralegal with Legal Aid Services
of Oregon. I had the opportunity to work with attorneys while also collaborating with
other nonprofit organizations in the Portland area serving low-income communities.
Since 2022, I also have been assisting with the first youth-led participatory budgeting
project in Oregon.
Why did you choose F&M?
One reason I chose to attend F&M was because of the financial aid I was awarded. As a first-generation college graduate, this was a crucial step in my decision-making process, especially since attending F&M meant I had to move across the country. I also wanted a well-rounded liberal arts curriculum and smaller class sizes. With F&M’s class environment, it was easier to establish stronger relationships with my peers and professors.
"With F&M’s class environment, it was easier to establish stronger relationships with
my peers and professors."
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