Like so many students, Zahabya Mama ’17 wasn’t sure of what she wanted to study in college. In fact, she wasn’t even all that sure that Bryn Mawr was the right school for her.
“I didn't want to go to Bryn Mawr in the beginning of my college search,” says Zahabya. “My mother, Robin Mama, graduated from the Graduate School of Social Work and was always an advocate of Bryn Mawr. I never wanted to enroll at Bryn Mawr because I felt like I’d just be following in my mother’s footsteps. However, once I toured the campus and learned about how empowering it would be for me, I fell in love.”
A political science and Russian double major, Zahabya was recently featured on the American Councils for International Education website after spending the summer studying in Saint Petersburg, Russia, at Herzen University.
“Learning a new language, like Russian, in its native environment, becomes an experience that you will never forget,” says Zahabya. “Immersing myself in a new language and culture is one of the most enriching life experiences that I’ve had so far.”
This semester, Zahabya is abroad again, this time at University College of London.
“Bryn Mawr has allowed me to gain confidence as well as given me the support to achieve whatever goals I have in mind,” she says.
In addition to becoming a Russian Flagship student since coming to Bryn Mawr, Zahabya has received a certificate in management, received a George Kline Fellowship, and received the Anne Kirschbaum Winkelman Literary Award. She works for the admissions office and at the writing center on campus. Even with all that, she finds time to be part of the Horned Toads rugby team, and a member of the Extreme Keys A cappella group.