Standing out, stepping up

When Marcelle Edenlord ’26 arrived at the University of Redlands, she expected to gain an education. What she didn’t expect was to meet a mentor who would help shape her future. In her very first weeks on campus, Edenlord’s academic advisor, Greg Thorson — the Ken and Lynn Hall Endowed Chair of Public Policy — encouraged her to apply for the prestigious Tinker Scholarship. Four years later, that early conversation came full circle when Edenlord was named the 2026 recipient of the highly competitive award.

“My sophomore year, I took Professor Thorson’s May Term course, ‘Policy Making in D.C.,’ which gave me a chance to live there for a month, incentivizing the Tinker scholarship more,” she said. The award is offered by the political science and public policy departments to juniors and seniors pursuing careers in public service who seek to move to Washington, D.C. for internships. “My roommate during the course was a Tinker Scholarship winner, so I was able to witness her growth from education to career. It confirmed that this was something I wanted to do, and having Professor Thorson in my corner helped.”

Thorson recognized Edenlord’s potential early on and continually pushed her towards new opportunities.  

“Marcelle was a true standout student in my First-Year Seminar,” Thorson said. “She combines outstanding intellect with both a very strong work ethic and a true love of people. Quite honestly, she’ll succeed in anything that she puts her mind to. But I’m delighted that she’s chosen a field that will both serve others and fundamentally improve our society.”

A Hunsaker Scholar double-majoring in public policy and race and ethnic studies, Edenlord’s trajectory has been shaped by an ambitious drive of passion and purpose, pursuing courses at Redlands that were equally challenging and preparatory.

“I took ‘Race and Law’ in my first year, which, even though it was intense, I’m grateful for taking,” she said. “It was the first course I took that intertwined race and policy, which solidified my goal of keeping the topics connected in my education and career goals.”

Pursuing a career in criminal justice and prison reform, Edenlord said she has already gained experience in the field through an internship with Representative Pete Aguilar ’01, where she worked on a project and presented on the Community First Act, H.R. 2669, which aims to reduce pretrial incarceration. As she plans her move to D.C. this summer to secure a job and apply for congressional internships, she hopes to continue the work she began during her internship with Aguilar and encourages future Bulldogs to remain engaged.

“Ask questions in class — don’t be shy because someone else is probably thinking the same question,” she said. “Get involved on campus, come with energy, and be ready for opportunity.”

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