Elmhurst University introduces two new global engagement directors this fall

Photo by- Ryan Windle

Elmhurst University’s global engagement department welcomed two new heads this September: Tony Marotta, director of global engagement, and Mallory Marach, associate director of global engagement. 

Both of them have personal experiences that ignited their passions for global engagement. 

Tony Marotta was in college when 9/11 happened, and witnessed Muslim students being targeted and parents telling their students to come home. 

“It really kind of showed me that the world is much bigger than a lot of us realize, and there’s a lot to do to help make connections, build bridges, and help people reach out,” said Marotta. “So that was a defining experience for me.” 

Additionally, Marotta was an RA at the time, so he led many focus and reach groups. After this experience, he transferred to EU to complete his degree and joined the International Students Club. 

In November 2020, after having worked elsewhere, Marotta returned to EU to work in international admissions. Within a year, he was promoted to Director of International Admission at Student Services. 

Now, he has worked with international education and international students for about a decade and is eager to expand on global engagement services in his new role as director of global engagement. 

Marotta’s advice to students who want to study away or engage in intercultural learning opportunities is to “just talk to people.” 

He had a best friend in college who was an international student and called this experience “life-changing,” recalling that he would often spend nights with his friend talking about culture and cultural similarities and differences between them both. 

He encourages students to have similar exchanges. 

“If you see a student that is across the room from you that you’re curious about, ask. Just say, “Hi, I’m so and so, Tony, hi, let’s get to know each other,’” Marotta said. 

He continued, “And I think that exchange is really important, especially now in the world. The world has expanded past anything I think anyone has ever imagined, and that’s caused certain issues as a lot of people have retreated because of it. I think that retreat needs to be reversed.”

“I think we need to continue to reach out to each other and continue to get to know each other and each other’s experiences,” Marotta said.

Marach studied away in China, Costa Rica, Greece, Peru, and Columbia while she was an international business student in college. She noted that this sparked her “international passion.” 

Marach has held a few positions in the international business fields of relocation and nonprofits. Recently, she has made her way back to higher education and is “helping students have the same experiences I had” by concentrating on study abroad services at EU. 

“I really liked Elmhurst’s dedication to international, that it was in the mission and it was in the vision, and during the interview process, I could tell that the faculty here were really supportive of that,” Marach said. 

She continued, “And that was something that really interested me about being here, and seeing how we could kind of reboot things after covid really decimated this industry and how we can bring those experiences back for students.” 

Marach is looking forward to meeting new people on campus as well as rebooting global engagement opportunities for students. 

Her advice to students who want to study away or engage in intercultural learning opportunities is to “just do it.” 

She added that students shouldn’t hesitate to visit the global engagement department to talk about opportunities. 

“Don’t just assume it’s not a possibility,” Marach said. “There are opportunities, there are a lot of different options for students, so they can talk to us and we can find something that matches their needs.”