By the time they graduated from high school, Carlos and Carol Martel (pictured above) knew that studying abroad could change lives. Now the retired couple is extending that opportunity to students at Emory’s Rollins School of Public Health with a bequest to support Global Field Experiences (GFEs).
This past summer, 80 students undertook GFEs to conduct research in 42 countries. Before they graduate, students complete a master’s thesis or capstone project based on the data they gather from the field.
Carlos Martel’s first international experience was in the United States. In October 1960, he traveled from his native Havana on a student visa to stay with an uncle in Miami to escape the political uncertainty in Cuba. Carlos’ parents eventually joined their son, and the family moved to West Point, Georgia, in January 1962.
On his first day at West Point High School, Carlos met Carol Muldoon, a West Point native whose own experiences as an exchange student would shape her life.
“Once you are exposed to another culture, it takes root in your soul,” she says. “It is life changing. Living in another country gives you the ability to truly appreciate the perspectives of others.”
Through their careers, the Martels became part of Atlanta’s growing international community. Through his service as a founding member of the Rollins School of Public Health advisory board and its dean’s council, the Martels learned about public health issues and the critical role that public health practitioners play in the wellness and safety of the global population. They identified with the GFE program because of the opportunities it provides for students and the communities they serve.
“This type of experience is invaluable for students,” Carlos Martel says. “As they work with people around the world who lack access to basic necessities, Rollins students use their knowledge to solve those problems but also gain insights that help define their own lives and careers.”
By supporting the GFE program, the Martels are helping influence others’ lives in a way that fits their ideals.
“We treasure the international experiences we had as students and in our careers,” says Carlos. “We want to provide opportunities for young people with comparable aspirations to benefit from experiences similar to those we were fortunate to have.”
October 2009
