F&M Stories
At Franklin & Marshall College, we connect our students with extraordinary opportunities so they can accomplish great things in their four years on campus. Here are just a few of their stories.
07/24/2025
Field Research Leads F&M Grad to Hawaiian Wildlife Refuge
Owen Sobel ’24 swapped soccer cleats for hiking boots to pursue a rewarding career in environmental field research and conservation. A former Diplomat midfielder, Sobel is now a U.S. Fish & Wildlife biological technician at Midway Atoll National...
07/22/2025
Kelvin Lartey ’27 Computes Postgraduate Future
Researcher, mentor and scientific advocate: Go behind the scenes with Kelvin Lartey ’27 as he spends the summer in Pittsburgh developing a mathematical model to study viral pathogens.
07/18/2025
F&M Students Launch Global Nutrition Nonprofit
F&M's global community of students brought together Jordan Samuels and Lyla Loria, co-founders of Fuel for Thought, a nonprofit that provides meals and educational resources to students in South Africa.
07/17/2025
From Passion to Ph.D.: He Zhuo ’24 Found A Calling in Chemistry
Forging into the unknown to uncover new inspirations — that’s the Diplomat way. For He Zhuo ’24, this meant exploring different fields before discovering an unexpectedly acute interest in chemistry. Now, he’s pursuing a doctorate in chemistry...
07/14/2025
F&M’s New President on Getting to Know the College: ‘The First Priority is to Listen’
As he steps into the role of president of Franklin & Marshall College, Andrew “Andy” Rich is spending time with members of the F&M community and learning what they value about being Diplomats. Rich was named Franklin and Marshall’s 17th president...
07/10/2025
F&M to FBI: How Kristopher Martinez ’24 Embraced an Unexpected Opportunity
For Kristopher Martinez ’24, F&M wasn’t just a place to study business and government — here, he could live it, question it, and grow through it. Martinez said this immersive experience not only fostered skills in critical thinking, communication,...
07/08/2025
How F&M Students Spend Summer Break
F&M’s signature blue Adirondack chairs are never empty for long. Meet several students spending their summer break on campus, as well as outside of Lancaster.
07/03/2025
Young Alumni Share Law School Journeys
Robert Suite ’17 and Matthew Thomas ’19 first met at F&M. Their post-graduate paths led them both to Drexel School of Law. Follow their story of friendship and mentorship.
07/02/2025
Women’s Center Director Finds Her ‘Jam’ at Roller Derby Rink
Until four years ago, Diosanny Rivera-Placido recollects lacing up a pair of roller skates twice in her lifetime, both times at middle-school birthday parties. Today, the director of the Alice Drum Women's Center is en route to Innsbruck, Austria,...
07/01/2025
Tatyana Ulman '27 Finds Opportunities to Lead at F&M
When deciding where to attend college, Tatyana Ulman knew she wanted a liberal arts institution where she could conduct research as an undergraduate and would feel a strong sense of belonging. F&M fit the bill perfectly.
06/27/2025
The (Diplomat) Way of St. James
Completing the Camino de Santiago is often a once-in-a-lifetime experience. But Johansen Vargas '26 and David Nieves '27 have accomplished this feat twice. The two were selected as student leaders for F&M on the Camino.
06/26/2025
Heading for the Bright Lights
As a first-year at F&M, Samantha Correa ’24 knew she liked working with cameras, writing stories and performing. Now, she is pursuing a master's degree in radio, television, and digital communication at Boston University. “F&M’s liberal arts...