At Franklin & Marshall College, learning by doing is a hallmark of the Diplomat experience. This philosophy comes to life for more than 1,000 students who engage in on-campus employment.

At the Philadelphia Alumni Writers House, Veronique Messanh ’26 found more than a job—she found a home.

“During my first week at F&M, I attended an open mic night at the Writers House as moral support for a friend,” she said. “I watched students share poems and short stories with such vulnerability and confidence that I felt inspired to read a poem I had written for my college personal statement. The support I received in that room was overwhelming in the best way. I remember thinking: ‘This is what community feels like.’”

 

Messanh, a double major in government and religious studies, took a leap of faith and asked Joanna Underhill, assistant director of the Writers House, if she could work there. 

“She said ‘yes’ on the spot,” Messanh said. “That moment taught me the power of simply asking and the power of spaces that welcome you fully.”

 

In her role, Messanh hosts campus gatherings—including the open mics that first sparked her passion for the Writers House and its community.

“This role has taught me to truly listen. When you listen deeply, you begin to see potential in people before they see it in themselves. Small encouragements can grow into life-changing confidence, truly,” she said. “People are extraordinarily creative; sometimes they just need encouragement to know that they are seen.”

 

Messanh describes her double major in government and religious studies as deeply personal.

“Growing up in Togo and Ghana, politics shaped everyday life. Political conversations filled homes, markets, and classrooms because this was where power and wealth was, and it affected everyone,” she said. “I took a constitutional law class in high school, where I had to examine the United States Constitution and compare it with the Togolese Constitution, and that’s where my love for law began.”

 

If Messanh’s pursuit of government was a deliberate choice, religious studies was a serendipitous discovery. Prompted by a friend’s recommendation, Messanh pursued a longtime fascination with religion and enrolled in the course “Jews & Christians in the Modern State.”

“I registered at 12 am and left the class feeling like this was it,” she said. “Studying religion gave me an understanding of behavior. It answered almost all my central questions: Why do people believe what they believe? Why do nations and states act the way they do? How does faith intersect with politics, economics, and culture? I truly believe that religious studies has filled in the gaps that political science alone cannot explain. Together, my majors make me feel confident in how hard I’ve worked to be here and how hard I have worked here. I truly feel like I was made for a time like this, here at this moment.”

 

Messanh, a Posse New York Scholar, said she chose F&M because she wanted a tightknit, intellectually challenging community where relationships matter.

“As someone who hopes to become a diplomat, I was drawn to an institution where conversation, debate, and cross-cultural engagement are central to the educational experience,” she said.

 

Photo Credit: Kerry Sherin Wright, Director, Writers House, Senior Teaching Professor of English

“F&M has strengthened my ability to think critically, communicate clearly, and engage across differences — skills that I believe everyone should leave college with. And it all started with the community-building spaces I accidentally ran into at the Writers House,” she said. “My supervisors, Professors [Kerry Sherin] Wright and Underhill, have been unwavering sources of support throughout my four years. Their encouragement has affirmed my ideas, my leadership, and my growth in everything I’ve ever put my energy toward. I will forever be grateful for having a community that sees me, hears me, and encourages me!”

Real-World Learning at F&M

Your ideas may start in the classroom, but they won’t be contained there. At F&M, you can connect the things you care about to meaningful experiences, including research, internships, volunteering, and more. (Photo Credit: Kerry Sherin Wright, Director, Writers House, Senior Teaching Professor of English)

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