Juliana Vair '26
"Bryn Mawr taught me how to use my love of learning to succeed. Whether through working on assignments between classes, discussions with my friends or classmates, or putting in the work at rowing practice, every day that I've been at Bryn Mawr has been an exercise in adaptation and growth. "
"Bryn Mawr taught me how to use my love of learning to succeed. Whether through working on assignments between classes, discussions with my friends or classmates, or putting in the work at rowing practice, every day that I've been at Bryn Mawr has been an exercise in adaptation and growth. "
Major: Comparative Literature (French & German)
Minor: French & Francophone Studies
Hometown: Miami, Florida
What I'll be doing after Bryn Mawr: Attending the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
How did Bryn Mawr prepare you for your next step?
Bryn Mawr taught me how to use my love of learning to succeed. Thanks to the close relationships I have fostered with my professors and peers in and out of the classroom, I have learned how to make learning a part of my everyday life. Whether through working on assignments between classes, discussions with my friends or classmates, or putting in the work at rowing practice, every day that I've been at Bryn Mawr has been an exercise in adaptation and growth.
What are you most excited about as you leave Bryn Mawr?
I am so excited to take what I've learned from a liberal arts college and apply it to a more professionally oriented environment. Law school will be a big change of pace, but I am fully confident that Bryn Mawr has given me the tools I need to succeed in graduate school. Bit by bit, Bryn Mawr has taught me how to adapt to any classroom or real-world situation. Also, I'm thrilled to be staying in Philly! It'll be cool to see how living in the city differs from Bryn Mawr.
Is there any class, moment, or professor that was especially memorable or impactful?
More than I can count! An experience that sticks out was the 360 that I participated in during Fall 2023: Transplants. One course was a 300-level Comparative Literature seminar on graphic novels and theory with Dr. Shiamin Kwa, who was single-handedly responsible for turning me into a COML major and became a great mentor to me throughout my remaining years at Bryn Mawr. The 360 also included a French literature course and a botany course, and we traveled to Bordeaux and Angoulême for a week to do some work revolving around French wine and graphic novels. It helped me train myself to think in interdisciplinary terms, and I also just had a great time!
What will you miss most about Bryn Mawr?
My friends and my professors. Bryn Mawr fosters such a close-knit and mutually supportive community, and I've made incredibly positive connections with those I've spent these four years with. Bittersweet goodbye!
Any advice for incoming students?
Bryn Mawr is a lot of work, but it's also an investment in yourself. Take full advantage of the amazing resources this school offers, and you'll go far. Small things make a difference. I am confident that going to office hours and putting in extra effort during and outside of class not only helped me succeed during undergrad but will also help me far beyond.
Studying Comparative Literature at Bryn Mawr
Comparative Literature is a Bi-Co program that draws on the diverse teaching and research interests of faculty at both colleges. The study of Comparative Literature situates literature in an international perspective; examines transnational cultural connections through literary history, literary criticism, critical theory, aesthetics, and poetics; and works toward a nuanced understanding of the socio-cultural functions of literature.