Welcoming the 2024 Shansi Fellows to Japan

We are thrilled to introduce our newest Shansi Fellows to Japan. Alex Billingsley ‘24 will join the English Language teaching faculty at JF Oberlin University in Machida. Sophie Qano ’24 will work in Hiroshima with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research and nongovernmental organizations ANT-Hiroshima and Green Legacy Hiroshima.

Alex Billingsley (she/her) ‘24 majored in East Asian Studies and Musical Studies during her time at Oberlin. In particular, her studies focused on Buddhism in Japanese culture, Japanese language classes, music theory, and voice performance. Alex loves to travel and has spent time living in Australia and western China, studying traditional vocal music in Corsica and Georgia, and working on a tea farm in Japan. She spent her high school career in a variety of programs focused on community-building, acts of stewardship, and outdoor education. At Oberlin, Alex has worked as an Observatory Assistant, tutored in music theory, and taught a class in the Experimental College about Chinese and Japanese tea. She spends as much time as possible singing in choral ensembles, reading and translating manga, and playing the banjo. During her fellowship, Alex plans to continue learning more about Japan while implementing her skills in community-building to contribute to networks of cross-cultural understanding and respect.

Sophie Qano (she/her) ‘24 majored in Psychology and Environmental Studies with a concentration in Peace and Conflict Studies. At Oberlin, Sophie worked as an Executive Functioning Tutor and an English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) Tutor. She also worked with Ever-Green Energy and the Office of Energy and Sustainability to make Oberlin College's campus carbon-neutral by 2025. Additionally, she was part of the Japanese Student Association and a proud member of the Oberlin Community Peace Builders. In Fall 2022, Sophie had the opportunity to study climate change, community resilience, and conflict resolution through the Oberlin-in-London Program. This inspired her to continue observing approaches to conflict resolution and sustainability initiatives in different countries. Upon returning to Oberlin, Sophie worked on her Psychology honors project, which examined the effects of smartphone presence on connectedness to nature and well-being. As a Shansi Fellow, Sophie intends to discover new interests while applying her passion for collaborating with others, peacebuilding, and pro-environmental behavior change in cross-cultural settings.