After a couple of requests and my colleagues forgetting those requests, I have finally been pegged to blog. It seems to me something that would be good for a person who likes to talk as much I do, but somewhere in the back of my mind I keep thinking, "what if I run out of things to say?" (If you knew me, you'd know how hilarious that is.)
Nonetheless, here I am, Farah Emeka, an Oberlin College employee and graduate, as well as a proud resident of the town of Oberlin. This is not where I started, though as I look back on it I believe Oberlin is the place where I was "born." I am originally from Chicago, "Southside," and I came to Oberlin as a graduate of the Chicago public school system. I blossomed at Oberlin, learning to lead and to take risks to pursue my interests.
It was such a nurturing place that it seemed natural for me to take yet another risk in pausing my legal career to return to Oberlin with my family. Now, I am a Senior Assistant Director of Admissions, responsible for leading our multicultural recruitment efforts. I have the great fortune of traveling to Chicago to recruit students, which means I see my mother often. (After living in Seattle, Washington for 8 years, we are both enjoying the ability to spend more time together.) It is my hope that I will be able to raise my family here in Oberlin and continue to grow as an individual and a professional.
I'll be happy if I am able to share interesting stories with prospective students and shed some light on the college application process, while also painting a very real picture of life at Oberlin. Granted, as a proud Oberlin alumna and a contented resident of Oberlin, the town, I am quite biased. Still, I believe there will be plenty for me to talk about that will benefit those who stumble across my blog.
A little more about me personally - I have two sons, King, age 11, and Jabir, age 6. Between the two, I spend lots of time as a chauffeur to baseball, football, soccer, and wrestling practices. All that is missing at this point is the minivan to cart friends around (my husband is working on rectifying that problem as I speak). I am married to an Obie (Oberlin lingo for Oberlin graduate): Justin Emeka, Visiting Professor of Theatre and Dance. He teaches acting, directing, and Capoeira Angola classes here at Oberlin. We bought our first home in Oberlin and we started our first real garden here. Oberlin is truly a place of growth, regardless of what stage you are at in life, and I couldn't be happier to call Oberlin home.
