Introducing the 2021 Shansi Fellows to China

Over the next two weeks we will share photos and short bios for the newest members of the Shansi family, who will be heading to China, India, Indonesia, and Japan.

We are proud to introduce our newest Shansi Fellows to China; Elaine Wu ‘21 and Jess Wilber ‘21 will both teach at Shanxi Agricultural University.

Elaine Wu '21, is a double major in Sociology and East Asian Studies. As a sophomore, she started studying Mandarin in hopes of learning more about her family history, which led her to study at the National Taiwan Normal University the following summer. At Oberlin, Elaine has fostered her interests in community and educational work through various roles including Lead Resident Assistant of the ZEBRA cluster and Communication Liaison and Chair of the Asian American Alliance, working and organizing events and workshops catered towards different communities. In addition to these roles, she was a cook and Board Representative for the Third World Co-op, the President and instructor of the Badminton Club and ExCo, and co-hosted a WOBC radio show. Through Shansi, Elaine is excited to visit mainland China for the first time and aims to improve her skills as an educator and language learner, paying her cross-cultural experiences forward to others through educational work and service.

Jess Wilber ’21 is a double-major in Environmental Studies & East Asian Studies with a double minor in Politics & History and a concentration in International Affairs. She has spent the last three years working for Citizens’ Climate Lobby (CCL), where she helped to pioneer their current programs for students in higher education. She was among the first members of the Campus Leaders Program, which seeks to educate and empower students to become effective climate advocates and organizers in their communities. She founded the Oberlin College CCL Chapter, or OCEAL, and worked alongside other student environmental groups to create a powerful and cohesive climate movement on campus. She was then hired as the organization’s first Great Lakes Regional Fellow, where she managed a network of K-12 and college-level students and educators engaged in climate advocacy. She has also coordinated research and organizing projects with CCL’s education, diversity, and international teams. Beyond her climate work, Jess is a musician, poet, certified mediator, and nationally and world-ranked equestrian in the Morgan Horse circuit.