For Anna Purchase ’26, Franklin & Marshall did more than provide an education. It shaped her worldview. 

“You get four years to try and enter in as a different person and rebuild the way you see the world,” said Purchase, who grew up in South Africa and Singapore. “F&M is going to change how you see the world, but you have a say in that.”

Purchase has made the most of her time on campus, from hosting a radio show to conducting independent research.

“It's very easy to be a big fish in a small pond here. That's why I chose the liberal arts. There are lots of different ways you can get involved,” said Purchase, a double major in environmental studies and government.

Anna Purchase ’26 volunteers with Squash Aces, a mentoring program with the neighboring School District of Lancaster that pairs an F&M student with middle school and high school students.

In April, she won the Arthur King Kunkel Prize, awarded for excellence in research and writing to a senior majoring in government. She also earned the environmental studies department award.

What’s next? Purchase will travel home to pursue a master’s degree in environmental management from the National University of Singapore, partially funded by a $30,000 global grant from the Rotary Foundation’s District 7390 Chapter of Central Pennsylvania. 

The Rotary Foundation focuses on seven distinct areas to create lasting change: Peacebuilding and conflict prevention; disease prevention and treatment; water, sanitation, and hygiene; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; community economic development; and supporting the environment.

An urban sustainability class with Associate Professor of Environmental Studies Eve Bratman first piqued Purchase's interest in the environment. 

“That was an amazing class because we got out of the classroom and around Lancaster,” Purchase said. “It was the first time that I began to see what I was learning in class. Not just in theory, but in practice.” 

“Environmental studies changed the way I saw the world,” she said. “It even changed the way I saw faith, which is very empowering.”

Below, learn more about Purchase’s F&M experience.

"I wanted liberal arts. I wanted my peers to be able to push me and challenge me in a way that was both personal and academic."

Anna Purchase '26

Anna Purchase ’26

• Double major: Environmental studies, government
• Home: South Africa, Singapore  
• Activities on campus: Diplomatic Congress, International Student Advisory Board, F&M Action for Refugee Resettlement, F&M Poll student advisory group, government department preceptor, Squash Aces mentor, Trustee committee on the student experience, WFNM radio

Why did you choose to attend F&M?

I wanted liberal arts. I wanted my peers to be able to push me and challenge me in a way that was both personal and academic. It's the academic freedom here that I was drawn to: The freedom to think and also become the best version of yourself.

Why did you decide to pursue environmental studies and government as a double major?

I’ve always loved history and politics and words. I knew I wanted to study politics in some fashion and I love studying government.

Environmental studies is such a great proxy for understanding societal attitudes and people and policy, because how you treat the environment is a really good model for how you're treating people. It just added a whole other dimension to my interest in people and societal attitudes.

How have you grown as a leader at F&M?

I got involved in Bonchek Congress my first year. I did a lot of watching and listening and learning. I got more and more involved in Diplomatic Congress, because I started representing the International Student Advisory Board (ISAB). I also got to serve as a housing adviser. That taught me a lot about leadership. You have to be the person to make hard decisions when no one wants to make them. 

Through a fundraiser for refugees with ArieI Levine ’27, I was able to get a roster of about 40 different clubs that [signed a statement] supporting refugees. That taught me leadership is all about relationships.

What advice do you have for the incoming Class of 2030?

Do as well as you possibly can, even if it doesn't have something glossy attached to it or there isn’t a fancy title. Don't be snobby about what's given to you, because it's impact that matters rather than what it looks like.

Try everything. College is an investment in who you are as a person. You get four years to try and enter in as a different person and rebuild the way you see the world. F&M is going to change how you see the world, but you have a say in that. Spend your time investing in who you are as an individual, because that's something you're going to take with you beyond a career.

Liberal Arts: A Living Laboratory for Leadership

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