Introducing the 2020 Shansi Fellows To China!
We are proud to introduce our newest Shansi Fellows to China! Jennifer Lin ‘20 and Rex Simmons ‘19 will teach at Shanxi Agricultural University and Beijing Normal University, respectively.
Jenn Lin ‘20 majored in Art History and Creative Writing with an East Asian Studies minor. Her work as a Residential Assistant in Asia House and as an organizer for several A/PID cultural organizations and events such as AS I AM, Pan-Asian Committee, and Asia America Art Collective sparked her interest in community-centered activism, education, and growth.
In January of 2019, Jenn received an In-Asia Grant that allowed her to create a digital zine that documented the experiences of LGBTQ+ activists, artists, and academics in Taiwan following a rise in opposition toward the legalization of same-sex marriage. The zine is called Crystal Bridges and can be accessed online. In addition to these activities, Jenn volunteered as a docent for the Allen Memorial Art Museum and worked for Oberlin College’s Special Collections as a book preservation technician and letterpress assistant. She intends to continue to pursue her interest in the arts, reproducible media, and museums while she is in Taigu.
Rex Simmons ‘19 majored in East Asian studies and environmental studies. Throughout and before his time at Oberlin, Rex studied Mandarin as a second language, studying abroad in Taiwan and completing two winter terms in immersive language environments. In addition to academics, Rex has worked as an English tutor in Elyria City Public Schools, where he helped Chinese-speaking students with their homework and translated classroom instruction. He also worked as a student assistant to the Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment (LIASE) Oberlin Team, and as a garden intern and compost coordinator for the Oberlin Community Services food pantry. In the future, he hopes to go to graduate school to pursue study in resource conflicts and geography, with China as a potential location for future research.
