Announcing the Martin Scholars Class of 2026-2027
Meet the newest cohort of Martin Scholars!
Thirteen rising seniors. Thirteen different paths. One common thread: they’re ready.
The Martin Center for Mentorship at the College of Charleston is proud to announce the 2026–2027 class of Martin Scholars, thirteen outstanding Department of Communication students who will spend their senior year engaged in networking, professional development, and mentorship with leaders across the communications field. They will graduate into a growing alumni network of Martin Scholars making waves as marketing and branding experts, event managers, sports producers, journalists, teachers, lawyers, and nurses.
This year’s class includes: Malena Märkle, Haley Ray, Julia Deicicchi, Putnam Roberts, Ella Cobb, Marin Hara, Asher Lucas, Amelia Wahlers, Genevieve Smith, Emilia Fish, Jenna Avery, Mattie Dermody, and Bridget Brickley.
Pictured left to right — Front row: Tom Martin, Genevieve Smith, Malena Märkle, Marin Hunter; Second row: Bridget Brickley, Jenna Avery, Ella Cobb, Asher Lucas; Third row: Emilia Fish, Amelia Wahlers
We asked them about their inspirations, hobbies, and hopes for the year ahead. Here’s what we learned.
A class that comes from everywhere — and has already gone far
This group hails from the Northeast, Colorado, and across the Carolinas, mirroring the College’s overall demographics. Their hometowns stretch beyond U.S. borders, too. Malena moved to Charleston from Frankfurt, Germany, at eighteen, and Marin has traveled from Gifu, Japan, to study abroad at the College of Charleston. Their classmates have kept pace with that adventurous spirit: several have spent semesters abroad traveling solo across multiple countries, navigating uncertainty, and forming connections across cultures. Jenna solo-hiked nine miles up a mountain in Switzerland during her own semester abroad, stopping to connect with hikers from around the world along the way. This is a group that has already learned to show up somewhere new and make it home.
Haley Ray & Julia Deicicchi are studying abroad in Florence, Italy, this spring
Grounded by the people who came before them
Most Scholars cite family as their deepest source of inspiration. Julia’s mom has taught her above all else to be kind, the kind of person who talks to anyone and everyone and radiates joy in every room. Putnam’s sisters have shown him what it looks like to commit fully to service, and he’s taken that lesson to heart. Last year, he was promoted to Staff Sergeant and officiated at one of their weddings in the same month. Beyond family, Scholars point to bosses and professors as formative voices. Amelia, who has worked in the College’s Admissions Office for three years, absorbed a lesson her boss shared that she now carries everywhere: you don’t need a title to lead. It’s about how you show up in the in-between moments. Mattie’s professors have pushed her to stay curious, ask bigger questions, and trust herself enough to go after opportunities even when she feels underqualified.
Putnam Roberts & Mattie Dermody, unavailable at the time of the group photo
Authenticity as a through-line
This class thinks hard about what it means to be real in a world full of carefully curated personas. Emilia wants to study how social media and influencer culture shape how people think, communicate, and consume information, and what it costs us in terms of authenticity and credibility. The piece of the Martin Scholars program that Bridget is most looking forward to is building genuine connections with mentors and peers. Haley is actively working on public speaking, a skill that sits squarely outside her comfort zone, and she recently became Vice President of Mortar Board National Honors Society, which suggests she’s not letting that stop her. Asher, who plays on the CofC baseball team, most admires sports broadcaster Dick Vitale’s ability to develop a distinctive voice and sustain an authentic audience connection in one of the most competitive industries in media.
Thirteen different directions, one very interesting group
Their career interests span strategic communication, public relations, entertainment, sports media, crisis communications, advertising, and political consulting. Genevieve is drawn specifically to crisis communication, and to the idea, courtesy of Advisory Council member Steve Cody, that humor might be one of its most underrated tools. Jenna’s favorite class, Power and Protest, taken while studying abroad in Florence, sharpened her thinking about rhetoric, politics, and how communication shapes the way people understand power. Outside of career ambitions, these students are runners, watercolorists, photographers, readers, yoga enthusiasts, and multi-talented crafters. Julia’s dream is to find the best reading benches in Charleston (she’s working on it). Ella read 35 books last year and is on pace to beat that number. And if you think you know what a future influencer-culture researcher looks like, Emilia grew up riding and showing horses, and Bridget danced competitively in Irish dance for over ten years. Horse shows, Irish reels, and 35 books read in a single year — together, they’re going to make quite a cohort. We can’t wait to see what they do next.