Welcoming the 2022 Shansi Fellows to Japan
We are thrilled to introduce our newest Shansi Fellows to Japan. Leo Ross ‘21 will join the English Language teaching faculty at JF Oberlin University in Machida. Benjamin Echikson ’22 will work in Hiroshima with the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, and nongovernmental organizations ANT-Hiroshima and Green Legacy Hiroshima.
Leo Ross (they/them) ‘21 majored in Comparative American Studies with minors in Rhetoric and Composition and History. At Oberlin, they gravitated towards community building and education; working as a PRSM trainer, Peer Advising Leader, and Writing and Speaking Associate. A life-long athlete, Leo was a three-year member of varsity women’s basketball team, including during its 2017-2018 championship season. After graduating in May, Leo was selected as the Writing Associates Program Fellow. This position combines their passion for communication and writing education in the practical execution of Oberlin’s Writing Center mission. Outside of school and work, Leo spent a summer interning at a syringe exchange and is currently training to be a hotline and outreach advocate for the Nord Center in Lorain, OH. They plan to carry over their enthusiasm for community building and education in Machida.
Benjamin Echikson (he/him) ‘22 majors in Economics and East Asian Studies with a concentration in International Affairs. Growing up in Brussels with an American father and Finnish mother
kindled Benjamin’s fascination with different cultures and languages. Native in English, French
and Finnish, Benjamin studied Japanese at Oberlin to discover a new part of the world. He spent
his freshman summer in Tokyo interning at startup EDGEof conducting market research for
foreign companies entering the Japanese market. As a sophomore, he interned at the Japan
Business Council in Europe in Brussels researching the impact of proposed European Union
regulation on Japanese companies. At Oberlin, Benjamin plays on the varsity tennis team, hosted
the “French Hip-Hop Show” on WOBC-FM, and tutored students in French. In his final year, he
is undertaking an East Asian Studies honors program studying how Japanese video games adapt
Japanese culture to foreign markets. Through his Fellowship, Benjamin aspires to connect Japan
to his multicultural background and pursue his interest in international cooperation and
understanding.