Student Story: Mallory Franklin ’25

December 1, 2026TranscriptMallory FranklinPrograms of study:Visual Communications and Experience DesignAthletics teams:Women's Lacrosse

Rachel Toone: Mallory, what is your major and what’s coming next for you?

Mallory: I’m majoring in Visual Communications and Experience Design. My next steps are to go home to Charlotte for a little bit and work. Hopefully, God will work something out and I’ll be somewhere in fashion or athletics. We’ll see.

Rachel Toone: You are a woman of diverse talents and interests; I love that about you. So, how did you end up here at Montreat Nation?

Mallory: Well, it would have to be God’s plan, because I didn’t want to come here at all, actually. Basically, I only visited because my mom’s friends’ kids went here and they liked it. She was like, “You have to go to Montreat,” and I was like, “Okay, I’ll visit.” The first step out of the car, I was like, “Not for me.”

I really wanted to go to fashion school—that was a whole other story—but God made it very clear financially that this is where I needed to be. I’d love to say I gracefully submitted to His will, but I was absolutely wrecked. It was awful. During my first semester, I really considered maybe joining the Navy. Then I had an advising meeting with Dr. Martin.

Rachel Toone: Montreat or the Navy&hell;that’s a word!

Mallory: Exactly. I couldn’t go home because I’d already left. I told them over Thanksgiving break, “Guys, I’m going to join the Navy.” Then one day at an advising meeting, Dr. Martin saved me, I guess. He said, “Hey, there’s someone I want you to meet,” and he pulls Ashley Lippard literally from behind a curtain because her office was in the Black Box at the time. She told me, “Hey, there’s this new major happening,” which is now my major. She said, “We can make it all about fashion for you.” The rest is history. So, shout out to Joe and Ashley!

Rachel Toone: I love it. So you chose Ashley Lippard over the Navy. That’s what I’m hearing.

Mallory: Easy choice, honestly. Did you know she worked with Michael Jordan? So that’s pretty cool.

Rachel Toone: That’s awesome. In your time here, what is something that God has taught you?

Mallory: I didn’t even realize when I first came here that I was only leaning on my own understanding. That’s why I was absolutely wrecked; I was like, “Why is everything not working out how I wanted it to?” Once I was able to surrender that anger and disappointment, God really showed me that His plans are so much greater than anything I could ever imagine.

If I had left after that first semester, I never would have met one of my best friends here who is from Zambia; she doesn’t come until the spring semester. If I were in the Navy, I never would have seen that girl. Also, I literally walked onto the lacrosse team with no experience, and that makes no sense. God’s got to be working, because that’s the only thing that makes sense. He’s helped me to see that.

Rachel Toone: For all the students coming back next semester, what’s your word of wisdom for them?

Mallory: I would say don’t ever let one semester define your time here, whether you’ve had a really bad injury, a bad season mentally, or things just aren’t working out like you wanted them to. He’s still going to use that for good. One of my friends has a saying whenever something is going wrong: “Don’t worry, there are never two semesters alike at Montreat.” We always say we’ve lived so many lives here; I feel like I’ve been here for eight years! You never know what God’s going to do. You just have to be willing to let Him do it.

Rachel Toone: Yes and amen. I’m going to steal that: “There are never two semesters alike here at Montreat.” Can I get a witness from the faculty, staff, and students? That is true; truer words were never spoken. Mallory, we are so proud of you and so grateful to have had you for this time , and we bless you and we send you! Lets show some appreciation, please!