Major Moment: Olivia Flores '26

Olivia Flores ’26 works as a Digital Scholarship Project Assistant within Bryn Mawr’s Library, Information, and Technology Services (LITS), where she helps catalog metadata and produce annotations for Professor José Vergara’s film research project, Paul Thomas Annotated: In the Margins. She also serves as a projectionist for several film courses and is the Lead Tour Guide Intern for the Admissions Office. Of all her roles, Olivia is most proud of her leadership as President of the Bryn Mawr College Night Owls, one of the campus’s a cappella groups. Below, she shares how she chose the Comparative Literature major—and offers a closer look at her journey through Bryn Mawr.

What is your major, and how did you discover it at Bryn Mawr?  

I’m a Comparative Literature major, and I discovered it by poking around the “Majors, Minors, and Concentrations” page on the Bryn Mawr website as a prospective student during my college search process. In high school, I loved to read, but I also loved studying different languages and cultures. I took French classes all four years and knew that it was an area of study I wanted to continue in college. I learned that the Comparative Literature major requires students to pursue literary studies in two different languages, which would allow me to deepen my love for English literature, while also exposing myself to different literary traditions in France and beyond. 

Did you enter college knowing what you wanted to major in?

Yes, once I discovered the Comparative Literature major, I began looking for it in every college I was considering in my application process. Upon arriving at Bryn Mawr and reviewing the course offerings for Comparative Literature, I realized just how interdisciplinary the major was, which solidified my path. I’ve taken Latinx Literature courses within the Literatures in English Department, connecting me to my identity as a Latina. I've taken film courses that compare written theory to quintessential Hollywood films, and I’ve taken French courses on the form of graphic novels and their ability to portray migration. Each of these offerings allowed me to dip into a new department, and oftentimes with it, a new minor. I’m currently a Film Studies, French and Francophone Studies, and Latin American, Iberian, and Latina/o Studies (LAILS) triple minor alongside majoring in Comparative Literature. The beauty of a Bryn Mawr education is the constant encouragement from professors and peers to pursue what we’re passionate about, however diverse those interests are.  

Tell us about a class that sparked your curiosity.   

My favorite class has to be Latinx Culture and the Art of Undocumented Migration, an English course taught by Dr. Jennifer Harford Vargas. It was actually my second of three courses taught by Dr. J, because I enjoy her teaching style and the content of her courses so much. Through different works of fiction and nonfiction, theory, and film, I learned so much about the importance of recording the histories of undocumented people and the revolutionary act of remembrance. No one specific memory sticks out from the course, but rather the nostalgic feeling of community I felt in that classroom. Students spanned across all four class years, from different majors and different backgrounds, enriching every class discussion and allowing me to re-imagine the power of literature in shaping cultural memory. 

Tell us about a time you were able to put learning into action.  

The highlight of my undergraduate experience, by far, has been the opportunity to study abroad. Beginning the summer before my junior year, I had the pleasure of spending 6 months in France, studying in both the southern town of Avignon and the city of Paris. My first of two programs was with the Institut d’Avignon, a six-week intensive summer program run by Bryn Mawr. I took two advanced French literature courses, which helped develop my writing and analytical skills, and supplemented listening and speaking skills through regular guest lectures and weekend cultural excursions provided through the program. I then carried those abilities over to a semester-long study abroad experience with Academic Programs Abroad, which connected me to literature and media courses at Université Paris 8. Some of my fondest memories from the program include going to choral rehearsals with my host mom and watching a play with friends at the acclaimed Comédie-Française. 

What advice would you give to a first year in the process of declaring a major(s)?   

My advice for first years would be to take the classes that excite you. It will either confirm that you are exactly where you are meant to be or open you up to new academic possibilities that you never would have considered.