Major Moment: 生物化学 和 法国 with Lia Wong-Fodor '26

Lia’s involvement extends across campus; aside from working as a Tour Guide in the 招生 Office, she is a Teaching Assistant for the 化学 和 法国 departments, as well as a Peer Mentor for Brecon 和 Batten House. She has also been a member of Chamber Singers, a Bi-Co (Bi-College Consortium) choir, since the start of her freshman year. Academically, Lia has declared a double major in 生物化学 & 分子生物学法语也是如此 & 说法语的研究. 在这里, she tells us about her decision to declare a double major—a decision that she says came as a surprise to her.

What are your majors, 和 how did you discover them at Bryn Mawr?  

While I enjoyed studying biology in high school, I had never taken a chemistry class. I figured Bryn Mawr would be the perfect place to try something new, so just for fun I signed up for the General 化学 I course. I ended up loving the class 和 my professors, whose support 和 encouragement led me to choose 生物化学 & 分子生物学 as a major! I discovered my second major through Bryn Mawr’s foreign language requirement, which I fulfilled with two introductory 法国 literature courses. I was fascinated by the 法国 和 Francophone works we studied, 和 my summer study abroad experience with Bryn Mawr’s d 'Avignon研究所 further proved to me that this was an area I wanted to continue exploring. 

Did you enter college knowing what you wanted to major in? How have the classes you’ve taken at BMC either confirmed your interest in the major or surprised you with a new interest? 

While I wasn’t sure what I wanted to study when I came to Bryn Mawr, I always assumed it would be related to the social sciences. I would have never imagined I would end up a STEM 和 language double major, but it’s been an exciting journey thus far! Every course I take continues to confirm my passion for biochemistry 和 法国, offering new opportunities to develop my underst和ing of each subject from a different perspective.  

Favorite class you’ve taken for your majors?

One of my favorite classes I took for my biochemistry major was "Genetics" with Dr. 塔玛拉·戴维斯. I appreciated being able to draw on knowledge from previous courses 和 apply it to studying genetic phenomena that impact every aspect of our existence. We also explored genetic research from historical, 社会, 和 political perspectives, leading to meaningful 和 thought-provoking discussions that often continued beyond the classroom. 

For 法国, it’s between “Monstres et Merveilles” with Professor 鲁迪·勒·门萨伊姆 or “Etudes Avancées: Aux armes, citoyennes” with Professor Camille Leclère-Gregory. While each class covered very different topics—one explored 和 analyzed fairy tales while the other examined the life 和 works of Olympe de Gouges, an 18th-century playwright 和 social activist—both were really engaging 和 allowed me to explore areas I hadn’t had much experience with previously. 

What experiential learning opportunities have you had connected to your academic interests? 

As part of my 法国 major, I participated in Bryn Mawr’s d 'Avignon研究所 summer study abroad program. In addition to taking courses with professors from Princeton 和 Shanghai University, I also was able to experience one of the largest theater festivals in the world—the Festival d’Avignon! It was an incredible experience that allowed me to deepen my underst和ing of the language 和 culture while living 和 learning alongside students from universities all around the US. This year I am the college ambassador for the program, working closely with the director 和 administrative team to plan 和 host information sessions, 客人会议, 和 various student excursions. 

What advice would you give to a student on the process of declaring a major(s)?  

Take time to explore different areas of study—take classes you’re interested in, talk to your classmates 和 professors, 和 follow your passions! Even if you know what you want to study, be open to different possibilities 和 take advantage of the opportunities Bryn Mawr provides to explore. Most importantly, don’t stress about it too much! 你在布林茅尔的时光, regardless of your major, will ensure you develop the skills you need to succeed in any field.