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...

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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.

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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.

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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...

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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...

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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,...

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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.

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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.

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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,...

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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.

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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.

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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...

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