Introducing the 2024 Shansi Fellows to India

The following two weeks, we are sharing the photos and short bios for the newest members of the Shansi family, who will be heading to China, India, Indonesia, and Japan as Shansi Fellows this summer.

This year, there are two Shansi Fellows heading to India. Sophie Bernstein ‘22 will join the Keystone Foundation, an eco-development organization based in the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve in South India. Caris Gross ’23 will serve at the International Studies Center at Lady Doak College in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

Sophie Bernstein (she/they/he) ‘22 majored in Environmental Studies and East Asian studies with a minor in History. While pursuing an academic concentration in Food Access, they worked as Assistant Food Programs Coordinator at Oberlin Community Services, volunteered in their garden, and joined the Center of Food Innovation at Oberlin. Sophie strives to cultivate environments that center community care and harm reduction, reflected in her time teaching title IX policy and facilitating classes at the Peer Support Center. Recognizing that cultural connection through food maintains resilient communities, Sophie became a member of OSCA and hosted Oberlin’s first Nowruz event. After graduating from Oberlin, Sophie was a NSF Geoscience Post-Baccalaureate Fellow in a Marine Environmental Change Lab at Claremont McKenna College (CMC). Through research and leading sustainability programming at CMC’s Roberts Environmental Center, Sophie understood that collaborative effort is necessary for effectively addressing environmental challenges. While with Keystone Foundation, Sophie is ecstatic to hone their passion for sustainability and food sovereignty towards cultural preservation and community wellbeing.

Caris Gross (they/them) ‘23 majored in Theater and minored in Russian. Their work explores community-based theatre as a tool for social change. In the year since graduating, they’ve delved into the world of accessibility and inclusion in theatre education in Washington, DC, facilitating programming for students ages 1-21 with disabilities in DC and Maryland. While at Oberlin, Caris pioneered a community engagement initiative to bring elementary-aged students to campus for a full day of performances, workshops, and backstage tours. Their honors thesis examined trauma-informed approaches to rehearsal and performance and the impact of arts curriculum in public education. Outside of the classroom, Caris was a four-year member of OSCA, sourcing missing plates on cozy afternoons in Pyle Inn Co-op and Third World Co-op. You’d often find them organizing large-group events for Oberlin Christian Fellowship, constructing sets in the scene shop, tutoring first-year Russian and linguistics students, and advocating for diverse play selections on our stages. Away from work and academia, Caris enjoys bringing people together to build community through home-cooked meals. As a Shansi Fellow at Lady Doak College, they are excited to support the co-curricular experience of passionate young women and contribute to a wonderful legacy of collaboration between academic institutions.