Louise Edwards OC ‘16

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Shanxi Agricultural University, China (2016-18)

Louise Edwards connection to Shansi began before she was born: her grandmother, Vee Ling, was the Dean of Women for Oberlin-in-China in Chengdu from 1949 to 1950. Louise has traveled to many countries around the world, but her richest overseas experiences have come from study trips. In spring 2015, Louise studied abroad in Namibia and South Africa, where she enrolled in classes on history, politics, and social justice, and interned at Sister Namibia, a non-governmental organization that publishes an Afro-centric feminist magazine. On campus, she serves as the Arts Editor for The Oberlin Review. Louise aims to apply her writing and tutoring skills to help students at the Shanxi Agricultural University improve their English abilities.

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The Art of Being Queer
The Art of Being Queer

Louise Edwards ‘16, Taigu Fellow

Smog hung low on the busy highway as we made our way to Beijing’s Haidian District where I’d start my language training. Yet as my Mandarin skills progressed, I found that what was hardest for me about living in Beijing was not the common complaints of traffic, noise, and pollution. What I missed most was the LGBTQ community at Oberlin.

Stories of My Grandmother
Stories of My Grandmother

Louise Edwards ‘16, Taigu Fellow

Teaching oral English at Shanxi Agricultural University, I’m often thinking of ways for my students to practice their speaking. Sometimes as their homework I ask them to send me voice messages on the app Wechat — one of the most common messaging apps in China. In one of these assignments, I asked students to tell me a story that their parents or grandparents often told them.