Paris Mercurio OC ‘23

 

Gadjah Mada University, Indonesia (2023-25)

Paris Mercurio (she/her) ‘23 majored in Creative Writing and minored in Gender, Sexuality, and Feminist Studies. At Oberlin, Paris was: a Teaching Assistant of poetry and fiction classes; a contributor to Wilder Voice; and a participant in the WITS program, where she developed and taught poetry lessons to 7th grade students at Langston Middle School. Along with her vibrant love of teaching, Paris fostered her passion for the performing arts through her role as a Stage Manager and a Student Manager position at Central Ticket Service. Off campus, Paris has enjoyed interning with a literary agency and a children’s book author, volunteering at her local library, teaching language arts workshops at a summer enrichment camp, and providing college application guidance to high school seniors. Paris is an avid reader, and her view of storytelling as an agent of personal and social change inspires her to connect with new people and encourage creative expression. She is excited to deepen and expand upon this work while continuing a legacy of cross-cultural dialogue as a Shansi Fellow.

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The Theory of Maximum Hassle
The Theory of Maximum Hassle

By Paris Mercurio ‘23, UGM Fellow

My first two weeks in Indonesia were a whirlwind of new sights, experiences, and people. After so many months of applications, preparation, planning, and seemingly endless waiting, I was so excited to have finally arrived that I barely gave myself a minute to sit alone with my thoughts or process everything that was happening around me. I spent my mornings studying Bahasa Indonesia, afternoons exploring the city with new friends I’d made at my homestay, and evenings eating delicious homecooked meals with my host family.