Student Profiles

Pia Tiimob '23

Pia Tiimob ’23, a pre-law double major in English and Philosophy, found that her English courses gave her the opportunity to develop as a writer. “I’ve always been passionate about writing,” she said. The collaborative environment of the Lehigh English Department in particular gave her a space for her writing abilities to grow: “Every time before we submit a paper in one of my classes, we have a workshop where we show it to our fellow classmates and work through each other's writing.” For Pia, this workshop environment “really drives home the student-centered learning aspect at Lehigh.”

Samantha Cardenas '23

Samantha Cardenas ‘23, a double major in English and Psychology, formed and found many connections with the professors at Lehigh University. “The professors here are extremely supportive and I’ve found a lot of mentors here…the professors are eager to guide you and help you grow academically,” she said. The study abroad program at Lehigh has offered her many chances to expand her horizons: “I’ve been abroad for a total of four times…it's something that really widened my perspective and my lens on life and who I am.” Samantha encourages other students to go abroad, “you learn so much about yourself and your role as someone living in the huge world we are in.”

Junmoke James '23

Junmoke James ‘23, an English major, has found that the small size of the English Department has helped her improve as a writer. “Being able to improve my writing skills because the English Department is so small, so I really get that one-on-one experience with the professors,” she said. The effort given by English Professors to help their students really impacted Junmoke. Professor Stephanie Watts was one of those professors that “really encouraged me to pursue my passions in terms of writing and she always gave me great advice on how to improve,” says Junmoke.

Amaya Apolinario '24

Amaya Apolinario ‘24 is an English and Japanese double major who, during her time at Lehigh, has been involved as a TRAC fellow, a writing tutor, the secretary of intercultural literary journal International Voices, and a member of the Marching 97. Amaya’s passion for Japanese language and culture led her to apply for the Japan Exchange and Teaching (JET) Program. She was accepted into the Summer 2024 program as a teacher’s aide in English classes for K-12 students.

Julia Aloi '24

Julia Aloi ‘24 is a double major in English and Biology with minors in Philosophy and Computer Science. She has been involved in campus activities such as Lehigh's Pre-Med Club and the Thriller and Horror Club, and she is passionate about reading and the natural sciences. During the Spring 2024 semester, Julia presented her independent research at the Richard Macksey National Undergraduate Humanities Research Symposium at Johns Hopkins University. Her research project, which was mentored by Professor Lorenzo Servitje, focused on the idea of transgression in the works of Foucault, Bataille, and Kierkegaard. Julia credits her positive experiences in her English classes to the relationships she has built with classmates and faculty members: “I have been able to excel in my studies largely due to how fantastic the instructors are; the classroom and community size is small, allowing for more intimate discussions.”