Rex Simmons OC ‘19

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Shanxi Agricultural University, China (2020-22)

Rex Simmons ‘19 majored in East Asian studies and environmental studies. Throughout and before his time at Oberlin, Rex studied Mandarin as a second language, studying abroad in Taiwan and completing two winter terms in immersive language environments. In addition to academics, Rex has worked as an English tutor in Elyria City Public Schools, where he helped Chinese-speaking students with their homework and translated classroom instruction. He also worked as a student assistant to the Luce Initiative on Asian Studies and the Environment (LIASE) Oberlin Team, and as a garden intern and compost coordinator for the Oberlin Community Services food pantry. In the future, he hopes to go to graduate school to pursue study in resource conflicts and geography, with China as a potential location for future research.

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Reflections from the Edge of the Field
Reflections from the Edge of the Field

By Rex Simmons ‘19, Taigu Fellow

My fellowship did not begin nor end as I expected it would. I was never able to travel to China due to Covid related travel restrictions, I was never able to secure a working visa in the two years that my application was sitting at the consulate, and I was never able to meet any of the students or staff at Shanxi Agricultural University in person. Instead, I was thrust into the watery realm of remote work, where I taught conversational English to students virtually, relying heavily on sitcoms to provide relatively interesting content and examples. I can’t say I saw it coming.

Working Far Away, From Home
Working Far Away, From Home

By Rex Simmons ‘19, Taigu Fellow

Working from home has been a striking adjustment for much of the global workforce. Some love it, some hate it, but the boons and banes of the hilarious juxtaposition of personal and professional lives has become a common trope in our lives, and is often parodied and celebrated in comics, commercials, and internet memes.