Mary Elizabeth Marquardt ’23, of Atlanta, Georgia, is a history concentrator pursuing a certificate in African American studies. The 2022 Frederick P. Hitz ’61 Scholar, she is passionate about continuing her understanding of the study of civil rights, grassroots organizing, and the development of our modern understanding of race, with a focus on the United States South. Domestically, her interests center around issues of equity, specifically with an emphasis on voting rights, education reform, and the criminal justice system. With a background in electoral organizing, Marquardt worked for Stacey Abrams’ gubernatorial campaign in 2018, where she served as a fellow for the statewide canvassing operations, and for the Democratic Party of Georgia’s coordinated campaign in 2020, during which she oversaw five organizers as a regional organizing director for the Legislative Victory Fund program. In summer 2021, she worked with Fair Fight Action’s communications and organizing teams to provide education to voters about voting rights legislation. On campus, Marquardt is a peer academic adviser in First College, an advising fellow with Matriculate, and the student manager of the varsity football team.

In summer 2022, Marquardt will be working for the Department of Justice, Office of the Deputy Attorney General.