From the President
VOL. 116 NO. 2
Editor Jeff Hagan ’86 Senior Designer Ryan Sprowl
oberlin has a well-earned reputation for academic rigor and musical excellence, a powerful combination not often seen on a single campus. The experience we provide students during their time with us is transformational. But an Oberlin education extends beyond our campus and classrooms. We put our liberal arts education to work, fostering lives of purpose and meaning through the integration of academic and experiential learning opportunities such as winter term intensives, undergraduate research, internships, fellowships, study away, and community engaged learning. Oberlin has a long-standing tradition of encouraging students to explore the practical application of their studies. By opening our classrooms to the globe, we help our students flourish and make the world a better place. Internships and other pre-professional opportunities are among the high impact experiences that shape success after college. Through the Junior Practicum and other programs, Oberlin already is providing more than 400 internships and experiential learning opportunities during which students interact with all kinds of organizations. Often, their experiences change how they see themselves and the future direction of their lives. Now, we are taking the next step to amplify our efforts to launch students into successful and impactful careers. Beginning with the Class of 2026, all Oberlin students will be eligible to receive up to $5,000 to support a full-time unpaid or underpaid high-quality summer internship, research experience, or other pre-professional opportunity. We call this the Oberlin Internship+ Commitment. As the program’s name states, the Internship+ Commitment will expand Oberlin’s obligation to provide applied learning experiences for its students. It will not be a competition, as co-curricular programs often are at other institutions. All Obies, regardless of background, will have access to opportunities that enrich their time at Oberlin and prepare them for a bright future. Of course, we recognize that each student has their own unique path, and we celebrate that. If an internship does not appeal to a student, this program also will help fund individuals doing research, performance-based programs like summer festivals, and other similar types of experiences. This will be open to every student who wishes to participate. This new approach will leverage the elegant design of our Career Communities structure, including Junior Practicum and Senior Launch programs, which we developed to meet student needs during the first year of the pandemic. The series of programs guides students throughout their time at Oberlin, providing access to a network of alumni, friends, peers, and mentors from the moment they first step foot on campus. The Internship+ Commitment will allow us to offer a co-curricular approach in an even more fulsome way. It is a truly Oberlin construct. A difference maker for our students. One of the clear strengths of the Internship+ Commitment program will be how it taps into one of this institution’s greatest strengths—our alumni. There is no school on earth that has Oberlin’s incredible network of alumni at the ready to connect students to opportunities that could change their lives. Many of you have already offered your support of our Junior Practicum program by committing to sponsoring internships for the summer of 2022. If you would like to become involved in the Oberlin Internship+ Commitment, I encourage you to reach out to our Career Development Center staff at internships@oberlin.edu or (440) 775-8140. carmen twillie ambar President, Oberlin College 2
Photography Projects Manager Yvonne Gay Director, Print and Publications Kelly Viancourt Vice President for Communications Josh Jensen The Oberlin Alumni Magazine (ISSN 0029-7518), founded in 1904, is published by Oberlin’s Office of Communications and distributed to alumni, parents, and friends of Oberlin College. EDITORIAL OFFICE
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Dewy Ward ’34 Alumni Center 65 E. College St., Suite 4 Oberlin, OH 44074 PHONE: 440.775.8692 FAX: 440.775.6748 EMAIL: alumni@ oberlin.edu www.oberlin.edu/alumni POSTMASTER
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TA N YA R O S E N -J O N E S ’ 97
An Ambitious Commitment to Students
Designer Nicole Slatinsky