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Lia Wong-Fodor ‘26 entered her college journey with many others at an unprecedented time - amidst a global pandemic. Familiarizing herself with schools in the U.S. as a citizen residing abroad was challenging enough, but the pandemic added a new layer of difficulty. As she got to know Bryn Mawr through a computer screen, Lia was pleasantly surprised to encounter a community she could feel close to even through virtual interactions. Once on campus, buoyed by a supportive community of professors and peers, she found herself pursuing a STEM major she had not initially planned on.  

Living in Bangkok, Thailand, Lia attended Bryn Mawr’s virtual prospective student events and immediately noticed the inclusivity, support, and empowerment present in the student body. A close-knit community was vital for Lia as an international student, she shares, “Knowing that I would be halfway across the world for my family, that community was really important to me.” As Lia experienced her first year at Bryn Mawr, she felt the strength of a diverse community constantly looking out for each other, “Despite the range of backgrounds and experiences, people are very much connected and committed to getting to know one another, to being there for one another, and supporting one another.” She noticed that support within the Bryn Mawr community was dynamic with an emphasis on growth, both personally and institutionally. She notes “There is a very strong commitment to trying to improve Bryn Mawr and the community in a way that I find really impressive.” For Lia, students at Bryn Mawr are supportive and close-knit while also seeking mutual progress, which extends to the world beyond campus.   

Lia continued to feel empowered not just by peers, but by her professors, who encouraged her to pursue a STEM major. Although initially undecided, she intentionally chose an environment where she would have the freedom to explore her interests, “I didn’t know at all what I wanted to study when I was applying to Bryn Mawr, which is one reason I chose a liberal arts college.” Lia took an introductory chemistry class in her first year, “for the heck of it,” which she ended up loving. This class catalyzed her later declaration of a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, “My incredibly supportive professors encouraged me to think about pursuing biochemistry as a major, which was something I hadn't considered at all." The level of care and commitment to students was initially surprising to Lia, who noted that while STEM classes tend to be larger, “What has really stood out to me is the commitment and care that professors have for their students in addition to doing really incredible research, as even in these larger classes they really work to get to know every student. Knowing that my professor is there to be a professor first and foremost is something that is really special.” The same investment in each other that she initially noticed with the student body; she saw in her professors. 

For Lia, the community at Bryn Mawr encompasses far more than what she had initially hoped for, “The community that I found at Bryn Mawr has extended beyond what I thought it could - it's not just been students, it's also been staff and faculty members.” The empowerment and support she found stretches across community members and will extend beyond the undergraduate years on campus to have, as she says, “long-lasting effects post-graduation.” As she steps into the second semester of her sophomore year, Lia already understands the effects of an institution where students are, “driven to create the world they want to see.” Bryn Mawr’s alum community stems from a space where students are unafraid to empower each other, personally and institutionally. As an international student, she was initially unsure of where she would call home, and what she would major in. Lia now speaks of Bryn Mawr as a space she feels at home in and empowered by, “it’s inspiring to be able to see what students do in their time on campus and in their time beyond. Bryn Mawr students are a force to be reckoned with—changemakers may seem like a cliché term, but our students are really driven to create the world they want to see.”