Rice University graduate senior Ahalya Lettenberger has been named a recipient of the 2024 Marshall Scholarship by the British government, it was announced Monday.
Lettenberger, a silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games, is one of 51 winners of the Marshall Scholarship in 2024, the largest class in the seven decades-running scholarship program.
The Marshall Scholarship program was created by an Act of British Parliament in 1953 as a living memorial to former U.S. Secretary of State General George C. Marshall and the United States for assistance under the Marshall Plan. It 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, according to Rice University. “I was super excited when I found out. When they called me to tell me, I was completely speechless.”
The 22-year-old earned her undergraduate degree in bioengineering in May and 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.
In the summer of 2021, Lettenberger won silver in the women’s S7 200 IM at the Paralympics in Tokyo, and she also placed fourth in the 400 freestyle.
The Chicago, Ill., native also owns three medals from the Para Swimming World Championships, having made the podium in the 400 free at three straight editions in 2019 (silver), 2022 (bronze) and 2023 (silver). She was also the 2015 Parapan Am champion in the S8 100 backstroke.
In an interview with Rice, Lettenberger 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,” she 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.”
Lettenberger is the first Rice student-athlete to win the Marshall Scholarship since 1999.
Congratulations Ahalya! A well-deserved honor. You will end up doing amazing things for people with disabilities.