Amanda Lagji thought she had her future figured out: law school, courtroom, success. However, one impulsive decision to study abroad flipped her plans upside down. Immersed in new cultures and stories, she instantly fell in love with literature instead of legal codes. Today, she is associate professor of English and World Literature at Pitzer College — concrete proof that one spontaneous choice can rewrite an entire life.
Lagji thought her road would eventually lead to law school. That’s a pretty well-trod path, so she figured at first. She planned to major in the humanities, and then become a lawyer after undergrad.
All was going as planned until she studied abroad in England her junior year. Removing herself from her usual extracurriculars, she used her newfound free time to dive into books. The more she read, the more she realized her love for literature was profound and perhaps something worth pursuing. What began as a year away from home became a complete reorientation of her purpose that led her to graduate school.
If you’re looking for a sign to study abroad, this might just be it.
The prospect of studying abroad has been on the front of my mind lately. As a transfer student, I will not have the time to study abroad and still graduate on time, but I find myself increasingly jealous of my peers in France and Italy who spend their evenings strolling the streets of Europe, drinking wine and wearing kitten heels. It seems, in these adventures, that my friends are learning about themselves in ways I can’t. There’s a freedom in being lost somewhere unfamiliar, in realizing that no one knows who you are and that you can be anyone.
I am so desperate for that “ah ha” moment that Lagji had while living in England. I want to devote my time to reading, discovering, never leaving my apartment without a chic outfit and being a true European transplant. In that discomfort, I would hope to find some sense of direction pointing me towards my true passion. Maybe that’s writing — or maybe it’s not. Either way, if I’ve learned anything from Lagji thus far, it’s that getting out of your comfort zone sometimes brings to the surface things that have been long buried.
Though she didn’t always think her path would lead to teaching, Lagji is excited to be here at Pitzer. The year abroad led to another couple of months in Africa working for a publishing company, Lagji found herself reading as much South African literature as she could. Here, she became a postcolonial scholar, bringing those experiences with her to Pitzer. This semester, she’s teaching the coursesLiterary theory, a world literature survey called Bad Romance and a first-year seminar on apocalyptic fiction. But, her most exciting class is upcoming.
Pitzer has the incredible opportunity, Scholars in Residence — you get to design a class around your research and truly integrate student input. Lagji is trying to get her new book off the ground; she’s got two chapters drafted, and will be reading alongside students in preparation to write the third. Lagji is planning a class built on co-learning and discovery called Counterinsurgency and is excited to integrate student feedback from the class into her work to craft the next sections of her novel.
“It’s like a perfect condensation of all the things that make us Pitzer,” Lagji said.
Reading novels alongside philosophy, political studies and even military manuals, students will explore how ideas about counterinsurgency show up in literature and shape the way we think about power. Though a mix that sounds intense on paper, Lagji makes it feel like a lively conversation about how literature reflects the real world.
So, what exactly is insurgency? Simply put, it’s a revolt against power, a theme that pops up everywhere from classic novels to today’s headlines. The class gives students a chance to connect what they read to the world around them and to see how books can help make sense of modern movements and debates.
“I pitched the syllabus in the spring, and that was the risk, right?,” Lagji said. “It might be a little bit too timely, but students appreciate the opportunity to talk about the things already on their minds.”
As Lagji’s research can often touch on difficult subjects, she stays grounded through her hobbies: running every morning and raising two daughters. She jokes that having a one-year-old and a four-year-old is her main hobby at this point, and that doing things to create memories for their childhood is her top priority.
“The things I study are heavy,” Lagji said.“I think having an abrupt shift to childhood magic and trust and exploration is really important. I wish some of the adults with more power would spend more time with kids and learn from them.”
That childhood magic she strives to create for her daughters is something I think can resonate with us all.
“ It’s fun to be a kid again; to chase fireflies through the grass, go apple picking and play dress up. ”
Perhaps growing up doesn’t mean abandoning that wonder, it just means learning to hold it alongside everything else. Lagji embodies this balance: diving deep into complex, often heavy subjects, while still making space for curiosity, creativity and play. It’s that same blend of depth and lightness that makes her teaching so inspiring.
When looking back on the decision to study abroad that eventually set her on the path to teaching, Lagji urges students to “embrace the stretch that happens in college,” hoping students will envision themselves studying in countries like Africa, Asia and South America.
Her journey reminds us that college is the time to make bold, risky (within reason) decisions that get us out of our comfort zones. Without that spontaneous decision to study in England, Lagji might have never become a teacher, dove into those novels or wanted to write books herself. Her story serves as a reminder that sometimes our best choices don’t feel safe at all.
“Do the things you’re a little bit nervous or afraid of,” Lagji said. “Some of them will change your life.”
Siena Giacoma PZ ’27 survives on endless cycles of caffeine, half-written drafts and lofty promises to “finish that book tomorrow.” Her cat, Olive, remains skeptical, offering judgmental stares in place of encouragement.
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