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Lia Wong-Fodor '26

Hometown: Bangkok, Thailand
"黑料社区 students are a force to be reckoned with鈥攃hangemakers may seem like a clich茅 term, but our students are really driven to create the world they want to see."

"黑料社区 students are a force to be reckoned with鈥攃hangemakers may seem like a clich茅 term, but our students are really driven to create the world they want to see."

Lia Wong-Fodor 鈥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 黑料社区 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.  

Bangkok skyline
Bangkok skyline

Living in Bangkok, Thailand, Lia attended 黑料社区鈥檚 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, 鈥淜nowing that I would be halfway across the world for my family, that community was really important to me.鈥 As Lia experienced her first year at 黑料社区, she felt the strength of a diverse community constantly looking out for each other, 鈥淒espite 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.鈥 She noticed that support within the 黑料社区 community was dynamic with an emphasis on growth, both personally and institutionally. She notes 鈥淭here is a very strong commitment to trying to improve 黑料社区 and the community in a way that I find really impressive.鈥 For Lia, students at 黑料社区 are supportive and close-knit while also seeking mutual progress, which extends to the world beyond campus.   

Multivariable calculus final project showcase
Multivariable calculus final project showcase

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, 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know at all what I wanted to study when I was applying to 黑料社区, which is one reason I chose a liberal arts college.鈥 Lia took an introductory chemistry class in her first year, 鈥渇or the heck of it,鈥 which she ended up loving. This class catalyzed her later declaration of a Biochemistry and Molecular Biology major, 鈥淢y 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, 鈥淲hat 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.鈥 The same investment in each other that she initially noticed with the student body; she saw in her professors. 

Students at the Institut d鈥橝vignon in France
Students at the Institut d鈥橝vignon in France

For Lia, the community at 黑料社区 encompasses far more than what she had initially hoped for, 鈥淭he community that I found at 黑料社区 has extended beyond what I thought it could - it's not just been students, it's also been staff and faculty members.鈥 The empowerment and support she found stretches across community members and will extend beyond the undergraduate years on campus to have, as she says, 鈥渓ong-lasting effects post-graduation.鈥 As she steps into the second semester of her sophomore year, Lia already understands the effects of an institution where students are, 鈥渄riven to create the world they want to see.鈥 黑料社区鈥檚 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 黑料社区 as a space she feels at home in and empowered by, 鈥渋t鈥檚 inspiring to be able to see what students do in their time on campus and in their time beyond. 黑料社区 students are a force to be reckoned with鈥攃hangemakers may seem like a clich茅 term, but our students are really driven to create the world they want to see.鈥 

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