Mihaela Marin is from Oradea, Romania, where she resides with her parents. Mihaela is unique among the scholarship recipients in that she the first recipient of gypsy origin. She began volunteering with gypsy children in her community during high school. Over time, Mihaela grew to love this type of community work and, with her mother’s encouragement, decided to study social work at the university level.

In her scholarship application, Mihaela wrote: “Before university, I was ashamed to say that I am a gypsy and I thought that if I say that, people will treat me differently. I’ve learned not only that it is not a shame to say who you are, but if you accept who you are, you can help others like you. So I intend to work with gypsy people from my community after I graduate, helping them to integrate better in the society.”

Mihaela was awarded a partial scholarship in 2004 to assist her in paying the rise in school tariffs she faced during her final year. She attends Emanuel University in Oradea and is working towards a degree in Theology & Social Assistance. With her background in social work and her experiences in working with the gypsy community, Mihaela has decided to dedicate her life’s work to addressing the discrimination that gypsies face. In her spare time, she volunteers with The Smiles Foundation, a Christian organization that educates gypsy children who have been ostracized in secular schools.