Marina Mendez Embraces Campus and Community Involvement

A native of Burgos, Spain, Marina Mendez ’23 grew up observing her family’s construction business. When she came to Lehigh, she majored in civil engineering and finance in the Integrated Business and Engineering Honors Program (IBE), with its emphasis on the interdisciplinary nature of business and engineering.

“I knew I wanted to build things,” Mendez says.

That dream is coming true: After graduation she will relocate to Toronto, Ontario to work for Ferrovial, a multinational company specializing in transportation infrastructure. She will be part of a team building a new $6 billion subway line in the city.

“I always like to challenge myself, so being Head Gryphon was the next step,” she says. “I want to support the Gryphons, help them understand the experience, get the most out of it and develop as a person as much as possible.”

Mendez also is active in the Newman Center, Lehigh’s campus Catholic community. “My faith is important to me,” she says. Other roles include serving in the Student Athlete Council and being a student representative on the University Committee on Discipline.

She becomes most passionate when talking about her work as an Admissions Fellow, where she interacts with prospective students.

“I love Lehigh and I want to share how special Lehigh is,” Mendez says. She conducts interviews, participates in student panels, and answers questions about the Lehigh community.

One of the things that she shares with prospective students is the wealth of opportunities available at the university, such as the Martindale Student Associates Honors Program, which provides a fully funded opportunity to study abroad. In summer 2022, Mendez was part of a select group of 12 Lehigh juniors traveling to Denmark. They met with leaders in government, business, social service and more to examine the opportunities and challenges facing the country. Mendez’s final essay about her experience focuses on how seawater level rise will impact Denmark.