Trevor Smith OC ‘25

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Syiah Kuala University, Indonesia (2025-27)

Trevor Smith’ 25 is a Politics major and Philosophy minor. Throughout his time at Oberlin, he has worked as a Peer Advising Leader, an Executive Functioning Tutor, and a Residential Assistant. He has designed and taught two experimental college courses: ComicsCo explored the history, fan culture, and influential works of American comic books, while UtopiaCo surveyed a diverse range of utopian literature and media. Trevor is passionate about the intersection between education and social and economic justice. This passion has led them to work in the labor movement, interning with both the North Carolina AFL-CIO and the United Steelworkers. In these roles, he developed educational material for union members and worked on an organizing campaign for graduate student workers. During his time as a Shansi Fellow, he is eager to empower students to be meaningful contributors to their own education as well as thoughtful members of their learning community.

Featured
Forget the name, remember the feeling
Forget the name, remember the feeling

By Trevor Smith ‘25, Syiah Kuala University Fellow

It is nearly noon. My co-fellow Yana and I have already been driving for nearly six hours through the sloping roads of rural Aceh. Overhead, the gray sky only makes the dense tangle of flora that lines the mountainside even more vibrant in its greenness. It's all new to me. The high hills that peer out over swaying palm leaves. The tiny street vendors with dust caked signs. The odd monkey or two who dash across the pavement with their wide eyes and long tails.

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Flood Relief in Aceh, Indonesia

By Trevor Smith ‘25, Syiah Kuala University Fellow

I woke up on the morning of November 26, 2025 to the sound of rain. It had started the evening before, when, out of nowhere, the sky had opened up, leaving me with a long and dreary ride home. Stepping over my wet clothes laid out to dry, and peering through my window, I began to worry for the safety of my students driving to campus in this unrelenting storm. Little did I know that the text I sent out to the group chat to cancel class would be the last one I would be able to send for days. Not even 10 minutes after I sent that message — click — the power went off. And though sporadic blackouts are not uncommon in Indonesia, a pit formed in my stomach as I saw the zero bars of service on my phone.