Introducing the Shansi Fellows to India
Please join us in welcoming the newest Shansi Fellows heading to India. Amelia Bronfman ‘24 will join Keystone Foundation, an eco-development organization based in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in South India. Olive Badrinath ‘24 will serve at the Shansi International Centre at American College in Madurai.
Amelia Bronfman ‘24 majored in Geosciences. At Oberlin, she explored her passion for education as an OWL and a Teaching Assistant for introductory geosciences, working as a circulation desk attendant at Terrell library, and tutoring elementary school students through America Reads. She also grew her knowledge of geosciences through the KECK program and the Rick and Robin scholarship, as well as analyzing garnet samples in Zeb Page’s lab. Outside of the classroom, she enjoyed playing tennis on the Oberlin Women's tennis team and playing clarinet in the Arts and Sciences orchestra. While studying abroad in Aotearoa/New Zealand she worked with Whaka-Ora and Ngāti Wheke to create two native bird monitoring programs, for both citizen scientists and a professional team. Since graduation, Amelia has enjoyed her role as a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant in Neiva, Colombia. As a Shansi Fellow, Amelia looks forward to continuing learning and teaching at Keystone.
Olive Badrinath ‘24 studied Psychology and Linguistics at Oberlin College, where she explored the intersections of language, culture, and memory. Her academic work focused on conceptual metaphors, storytelling as a psychological mechanism, and Dravidian linguistics. After graduating, she has worked as a Montessori teacher, where she helps three- to six-year-olds develop life skills, emotional agency, and a sense of community through developmentally appropriate frameworks.
At Oberlin, Olive was deeply involved in community-building, serving as a manager at the Cat in the Cream Coffeehouse and co-president of the Pottery Coop, where she led workshops and expanded accessibility to BIPOC students and local community members.
In Madurai, Olive is eager to transition into higher education while also exploring early childhood learning initiatives. She looks forward to engaging with and supporting students outside of the classroom and immersing herself in Tamil language and culture. Outside of work, Olive is an endurance runner and enjoys reading, knitting, and ceramics.