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.
07/31/2025
Mia Feola ’27 Unleashes Her Potential
Mia Feola ’27 has always felt a calling to work with animals. This summer, she interned at the Penn Vet Working Dog Center (PVWDC), an organization dedicated to training working dogs. “Interning for the PVWDC has opened doors for me to explore...
07/29/2025
Julia Dorf '24 Forges Her Future in Medical Innovation
At F&M, Julia Dorf ’24 immersed herself in hands-on research and formed a strong foundation of the skills she needed for her post-graduate role. “The opportunity to conduct research with professors at F&M was crucial in landing an entry-level...
07/28/2025
Richie Dockery '26 Explores Lancaster's Revolutionary History
A connection with an F&M professor inspired Richie Dockery '26 to pursue a summer experience preserving American history less than five miles from campus.
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,...