Pomona College is fascinated by two things: the number 47 and Bridget Brodie. It makes sense why the college would be eager to welcome such a competitive applicant to their class of 2027. Within 47 seconds of meeting Brodie, you’ll want to be her friend, within 47 minutes of talking to her, you’ll fall in love, and after 47 months of knowing her, you’ll find you haven’t had enough!

Pomona College may believe 47 to be the most naturally occurring number in nature but this editor thinks languages are even more natural to Brodie. Boasting an impressive 60,000 XP on Duolingo, Brodie has committed herself to learning 5 languages. To add to her already impressive language repertoire, Brodie also holds an officer position in Hispanic Honors Society and tutors children in Spanish at the Alexander Hughes Community Center through the International Language School for Children and Adults. After 12 years of learning Spanish, she will graduate with a seal of biliteracy and complete fluency in the language. However, her accomplishments do not stop there though.

The ability to effectively and beautifully communicate is a passion and strength of Brodie’s. When not working on foreign languages she practices a different kind of language altogether: speech and debate. Ranking in the top one percent of the country for public forum debaters and the highest ranking National Speech and Debate Association member in a points system at CHS, Brodie has achieved premier distinction, a position only awarded to two percent of NSDA members in the country, and was recently inducted into CHS’s Speech and Debate Hall of Fame. She also has competed at the California State Tournament every year for the past four years and attended Nationals for the past two. She boasts copious wins and captainships throughout her career on Claremont High’s Speech and Debate team and even better wins when it comes to the friendships she’s made through the team.

Brodie’s family shares her gratitude for the friends and experiences she has had thus far. Kyle Brodie, her father, describes her time in high school with reverence and affection.

“She was able to get the most out of every activity she engaged in,” Kyle Brodie said. “Whatever she did, she did to the very best of her ability. She never shied away from a challenge, and learned from her inevitable setbacks, rather than get defeated. And she did all this with an eye toward making her community stronger, lifting up friends and encouraging them to be their best selves.”

When not pursuing her big goals, Brodie takes the time to love the little things in life like her chihuahua Beso whose eyes she claims are full of goodness. Her advice to incoming freshmen is that “hell hath no fury like a woman scorned” and to make friends with funny people. As she leaves highschool she will take with her many memories and lessons. Her mother, Analee Brodie, advises her to continue her path of growth and thirst for knowledge.

“You will be surrounded by smart, interesting, accomplished people from all over the world,” Analee Brodie said. “Stay curious, take risks, and soak up everything you can in this incredibly rich environment!”