Phoebe von Conta OC ‘22

Phoebe von Conta smiling at the camera
 

Lady Doak College, India (2022-24)

Phoebe von Conta (she/her) ‘22 is a Hispanic Studies and Environmental Studies double major who enjoys running and biking around Oberlin, going to the Oberlin Public Library, and beekeeping. Since her first year at Oberlin College, Phoebe has developed a curiosity for the ways that people connect and learn through their environments. She has conducted research on climate activism and Indigenous media, helped develop Oberlin’s Climate Vulnerability Assessment, authored a case study with climate resilience organizations and local governments, and is an instructor for Oberlin’s Spanish in the Elementary Schools. She became a board member of the Green EDGE Fund in her first year and has been involved in the Environmental Studies department ever since, helping to conduct Oberlin’s 50th Earth Day celebration, and connecting with students and faculty as an ES student representative. Additionally, Phoebe is a captain for Oberlin’s Cross-Country and Track and Field team and a member of Tank Cooperative. She looks forward to deepening her understanding of environmental sustainability, community resilience, and education are intertwined through her work as Shansi Fellow.

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What Two Years Can Mean
What Two Years Can Mean

By Phoebe Von Conta ‘22, Lady Doak Fellow

I passed by the Lady Doak College gate for the second time, the security guard giving me a confused look. I had been walking laps around the gate, steeling myself to cross the street. It was my first weekend in my new site and I couldn’t manage to leave the gates. I rounded the corner for the third time and took myself outside, crossing the street alongside a wandering cow.

The City that Never Sleeps
The City that Never Sleeps

By Phoebe Von Conta ‘22, Lady Doak Fellow

After weeks of preparation and anticipation, I was standing at the front of a classroom, advancing powerpoint slides containing study abroad information for students. I was sweating in the November humidity, Madurai’s peak rainy season having just ended. It was my second month in my new position at the International Studies Center, working at the first women’s college established in Madurai, known as Lady Doak College. Compared to the English language teaching sites and full-time working positions Shansi offers, this position is different. The Shansi fellow works in the International Studies Center (ISC), a space for students to gather, build professional skills, and engage with international topics, it’s also where students go through the study abroad process. The flexible position allows me to carve out my own place here, a task equally thrilling and daunting.