Marlaina Cole
Marlaina is a fifth-year student at Grand Valley and a fourth-year
Fellow in the Cook Leadership Academy. She is a member of the Frederik
Meijer Honors College, majoring in International Relations with minors
in Human Rights and History. At Grand Valley, Marlaina works at the
Padnos International Center as a Student Peer Adviser, where she
assists students in the study abroad process. She spent the academic
year of 2019 in Akita, Japan as a Barbara H. Padnos International
Scholar, and she plans to study abroad in Thailand for a semester
before graduating in 2022. Marlaina retains a keen interest in global
affairs. She seeks to promote intercultural competency and
open-mindedness here at Grand Valley through Bringing Together the
World, a student organization where she served in a leadership
capacity for 2 years. In her free time, she enjoys making candles,
reading, and spending time on Lake Michigan. This year, Marlaina is
thrilled to further develop her leadership skills and form connections
with fellow students and community members through the Cook Leadership Academy.
