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
August 13, 2026
Connecting People and Pinnipeds: Internship Helps Student Find Her Voice in Marine Conservation
Corina Curry ’29 isn’t just studying marine life — she’s finding her voice as an educator. As an intern with Ocean Connections in Hershey, Pa., Curry works directly with pinnipeds and leads conservation-based programming. “I have found educating the public on this incredible species to be highly rewarding,” she said.
August 10, 2026
‘For the Love of People and Art’: F&M Student Interns at the Mount Gretna Art Show
Layla Beyer ’27 is getting a firsthand look at how communities unite through a shared love of the arts. Beyer, who studies history of art and architecture and theatre, is interning with the Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show. “It is really inspiring to see this kind of work get done for the love of people and art,” she said.
August 5, 2026
Shaping Policy and Careers: F&M Alumni Share Opportunities in Government
Erin Corrigan ’22 is helping to plan initiatives at the highest levels of state government just a few years after graduation, thanks to advice and support from her F&M alumni mentor, Trustee Akbar Hossain ’13. “F&M alumni are here to help support you,” she said. “It’s F&M’s culture to help lift up the next generation.”