Rice University swimmer and recent graduate Ahalya Lettenberger is one of 51 students nationwide selected for a 2024 Marshall Scholarship, it was announced Dec. 11.
The Marshall Scholarship program was created by the British government in 1953 as a living memorial to former U.S. Secretary of State General George C. Marshall and USA for assistance under the Marshall Plan. The scholarship allows for up to three years of graduate study in any academic topic at any university in the United Kingdom.
“Receiving this scholarship truly means so much to me because this is an opportunity of a lifetime that not many people get,” Lettenberger said. “I was super excited when I found out. When they called me to tell me, I was completely speechless.”
The 2024 winners represent the largest class in the seven decades-running scholarship program. The recipients, considered among America’s most accomplished undergraduate students and recent graduates, were chosen following an intense selection process and will begin graduate studies at top universities across the U.K. next year.
Lettenberger, who earned her undergraduate degree in bioengineering in May, plans to use the scholarship to pursue a Master of Science in sport biomechanics at Loughborough University, as well as a master’s in disability, design and innovation at University College London.
She said her goal is to design assistive technologies, like prosthetics and exoskeletons, that challenge the limitations associated with disability.
“I was born with a physical disability called arthrogryposis, so I want to help others with disabilities through technology,” Lettenberger said. “I decided to pursue the Marshall Scholarship because the U.K. has some of the leading centers in the world for assistive technology, and it is also at the forefront of para-sport. It’s an incredible opportunity to learn, build connections and experience life in the U.K. during the next two years”
In addition to her academic studies, Lettenberger has competed for Rice swimming for the past five seasons, and she has competed internationally. Lettenberger was a silver medalist in the S7 200-meter individual medley at the 2020 Paralympic Games in Tokyo, also placing fourth in the 400 freestyle. Lettenberger also won silver medals in the 400 freestyle at the 2023 World Para Swimming Championships and the 2019 World Paralympic Championships and a bronze medal at the 2022 World Para Swimming Championships.
She is currently training with the Rice swim team for the Paris Paralympic Games next summer.
Lettenberger is the first Rice student-athlete to win the Marshall Scholarship since Justyna Gudzowska in 1999 and the first Rice student to win the award since Jackson Neagli in 2018.
“Being on the swim team has definitely been the highlight of my experience at Rice,” she said. “We are truly like a family, and it’s been so fun being able to represent Rice along with Team USA. I’m super grateful for my amazing coaches and teammates who have supported me so much during these last four years.”