F&M Stories
Why Give? Five Inspiring Stories
Like a ripple in a pond, one financial gift can change the academic trajectory for Franklin & Marshall students and those that follow them. As the 2023-2024 fiscal year comes to a close, explore five recent stories that showcase the philanthropic spirit of Diplomats worldwide.
1. Attorney's Passion Paves Way for Students
An F&M grant enabled Karla Avelino ’01 to return to her Central American birth country and discover a passion for immigration law. A founding partner of Roger and Avelino law firm, she’s now paving the way for current and future students to find their potential.
2. Diplomat Leadership Program: Latest Steinman Foundation Initiative to Benefit F&M
Students
Over many decades, The Steinman Foundation, one of the most prominent grant-making charitable organizations in Lancaster County, has supported programs that provide opportunities for Franklin & Marshall students and benefit the broader community. Now, those opportunities have expanded with the Diplomat Leadership program.
3. Unleashing Dreams: Alethia Batchelder ’24
Meet Alethia Batchelder, a recently graduated animal behavior studies major from Maine. Her F&M journey is possible thanks to the support of the Arthur W. and Stella M. Choney Endowed Scholarship Fund.
4. Robert Mullins '91: Grateful for F&M
How do you show appreciation for an institution that worked with you through a life threatening illness to get your degree in four years? If you’re Robert “Rob” Mullins ’91, you give back to that organization in every way you can. “Franklin & Marshall College helped, and helped, and then helped some more,” Mullins recalls.
5. A New Generation of F&M Philanthropists
Lara Gillingham '23 and Hope Petralia '24, previous chairs of the Student Giving Committee, have one message: Diplomats do not need to wait until they graduate to start giving back to their school.
Could you be the next featured story?
From financial gifts to volunteering time and expertise, there are many ways to give at F&M. Explore how to give.
Donors inspire excellence at Franklin & Marshall College by supporting students, faculty
and research that benefits the entire F&M community and beyond.Giving at F&M
Related Articles
June 3, 2026
Leveraging the Diplomat Network, On and Off the Court
For Asad “Sid” Syed ’27, F&M Men’s Basketball is more than a team. It’s a vital support system — one that introduced him to influential alumni mentors, gave him his own faculty fan cheering from the stands, and instilled the confidence to grow, improve and sustain excellence.
June 1, 2026
F&M Computer Science Grad Lands Job at Google
At F&M, Shahina Tojieva ’25 cultivated world-ready skills to seamlessly transition from Diplomat to Google software engineer. “My time at F&M equipped me with the essential toolkit to navigate unfamiliar environments and overcome post-collegiate hurdles through a liberal arts lens,” she said.
May 18, 2026
Green Room Shakespeare Play Links Past and Present
Thespians of all stripes will delight in an upcoming Shakespeare performance taking place at Franklin & Marshall College’s historic Green Room Theatre. The production is directed by F&M’s very own Justin Hopkins ’07, writing center director and senior teaching professor of English.