Hello! My name is Laura Schwalb and I am a Freshman at Marian with a forensic science and biology double major and a minor in chemistry. I also am an international student from Germany. I am a first-generation college student, so making the decision to go to Marian, which is located on a completely different continent than where I grew up, was very scary. Marian helped me overcome my fears with all the support from faculty, staff, and fellow students.

Thanks to generous donors I was able to receive a scholarship from Marian which now helps me to get where I want to be with my college goals. Without scholarship aid I would not be able to make my dream of becoming a crime scene investigator come true.

In the brief time I have been here, Marian University has showed me what being a community really means. No matter the kind of problem I come across, there is always someone to help me solve it. I am very excited to be able to continue my college career at Marian, and I cannot thank my scholarship donors enough for giving me the opportunity to pursue my dreams. Being able to go to college means a lot to me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!