Mallorie Marsan, a pre-law student at Temple University, shared her experiences and motivations in an interview published on Mar. 24. Marsan is president of the pre-law division of the Black Law Students Association and has been involved in public health research as well as youth organizing.
Marsan’s work highlights the intersection between academic achievement and community engagement. As a first-generation college student with Haitian roots, she said her background inspires her to pursue equity for Black people through legal advocacy.
“I’m the president of the Black Law Students Association, Pre-law Division. That’s my biggest commitment,” Marsan said. She also described her roles as a career peer at both the Resnick Center and Salzberg Center for professional development at Temple University. Her research assistantship in the College of Public Health focuses on kidney health disparities among Black and brown communities in Philadelphia—a continuation of work she began with the African American Policy Forum.
Marsan’s interest in public health stems from personal experience: “I am Haitian, and Haiti has dealt with many public health issues for as long as I can remember; since I was a kid.” Off campus, she volunteers with Gift of Life Howie’s House for kidney transplant patients and serves as a regional organizer for Rhizome, helping high school students create change within their communities across Pennsylvania, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Reflecting on her family’s journey to America—her mother is a nurse who works long hours while her father runs a construction company—Marsan said: “I always thought, seeing them do what they need to do in a situation that was much worse than mine is right now, ‘I can’t complain about where I am.’ And then on top of that…otherwise it feels like they came here for nothing.”
Looking ahead to graduation after finishing early from Temple University, Marsan plans to attend law school with interests in both public health law and immigration law. “My goal is to create equity for Black people in general,” she said.
