Lily Oudommahavanh, ‘26

Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Languages: English, Japanese
High School: Venice High School (World Languages & Global Studies Magnet)
Affiliations: QuestBridge
Major: Japanese Studies
Minor: Computer Science
Main Extracurricular Activities: Senior Class Committee, J-Club, Middlebury Alternative Break Trips, Middlebury College Museum of Art, Innovation Hub, Mental Health Peer Educators

Hi, nice to meet you! My name is Lily Oudommahavanh and I’m a current senior from San Diego and Los Angeles, CA, majoring in Japanese Studies with extra coursework in Computer Science and Sociology. I’m also a queer, first-generation & low-income Laotian-American student. I’ve just returned from a year abroad in Tokyo at Middlebury’s School in Japan. Fun fact: My older sister was actually part of Middlebury’s class of 2012! Because of this, back when I was deciding where to commit, I actually didn’t want to attend Middlebury and was set on going someplace different from her (silly, I know).

However, my senior spring, Middlebury flew out a group of FGLI students from LA to come visit their campus, including me. This was one of my favorite trips ever; I met a group of kids just like me and became close friends with a few of them as we toured Middlebury College and were able to ask current students about their own experiences. Eventually, a close friend from this trip and I decided to commit together and I’ve never looked back since. What meant the most to me was that Middlebury was willing to take the time and resources to bring a group of students from 3,000 miles away to personally see their campus and get a better idea of what college and Middlebury could be as first-generation students, even without the guarantee that we would say yes to them.

Here at Middlebury, I’ve been able to experience so many amazing opportunities and meet even more fascinating people. I can only hope that if you’d like to hear more about what Midd could look like for you, you’ll reach out to me and ask anything you’d like. Please feel more than welcome to email me about any questions you have about Middlebury or my own experiences in certain departments or affinity groups – I would love to answer them!

What’s your favorite course?

I was able to take a course in the Film & Media Culture department called “Anime Masterworks”! This has been my favorite course so far, since it was such an engaging and unique subject to take an in-depth class on. Plus, our homework was primarily watching anime movies, so I can’t complain about that! For my final project, a friend and I made a podcast episode about all of the different themes in the movies we watched, looking at everything from traditional family dynamics during WW2 in Japan to the role of the mecha genre in queer representation. At Middlebury, your classes can teach you the proper skills to analyze even the nichest of interests!

Any tips for incoming students to help them make the most out of their Middlebury experience?

If you’re even a little bit interested, definitely take a language starting your first-year fall! It’s not only guaranteed to be an amazing class because of Middlebury’s uniquely rigorous language curriculum, but a sure-fire way to find community during your first semester here. The struggle of learning any new language can be overwhelming, but doing it with your classmates makes for a bond that will go far beyond the classroom. Plus, nothing is more satisfying than seeing your progress and being able to communicate with your friends in a new, shared language.

Why did you choose to attend Middlebury?:

I have a passion for learning languages, particularly Japanese, and realized after a lot of research that Middlebury is an amazing school known for their language departments, where I could continue to explore that. Whether it be through Language Schools, their School in Japan, or taking language and elective classes within the department, I knew this was the perfect place for me to continue my studies and I can safely say I made the best possible choice! I also knew that Middlebury would be a place where I could explore my other academic (and casual) interests, like pursuing a major in software engineering (I originally wanted to do Psychology, actually!) or learning how to crochet at one of Midd’s many student organizations!