Leo Hidy ’23 Receives Prestigious Public Policy Fellowship

Leo Hidy ’23, a Comparative American Studies major who also studied business and economics while at Oberlin, will be spending the upcoming year as an NYC Urban Fellow. “While at Oberlin, I was privileged to engage with diverse stakeholders whose passion for social justice encouraged me to pursue a career in public service,” he says. “As a NYC Urban Fellow, I will spend nine months learning about urban issues and public policy by working closely with leaders engaged in policy work at various city agencies.” Hidy, who’s from San Francisco, was also an Oberlin Shansi Fellow in Japan. 

How does this fellowship align with your career goals?
I was drawn to the NYC Urban Fellowship because of the program’s unique learning seminars, first-hand exposure to public sector leaders, and emphasis on public service. After nine months of working in NYC, I will have just barely begun scratching the surface. I hope to spend the subsequent year deepening my relationships with the broader NYC community by working for a local organization or city agency. Down the road, I would like to investigate the impact that urban foodscapes have on commercial corridors in BIPOC neighborhoods before pursuing a graduate degree in city planning and/or public administration. 

You’re currently in Japan on a Shansi Fellowship. What have been some of the highlights of your year there? 
As a Shansi Fellow in Machida, Tokyo, I have been privileged to explore Japanese urbanism first-hand and push beyond Westernized ideas of public space. My favorite part of the Shansi Fellowship has been connecting with some of the most amazing Obies around the globe. Shansi’s strong cohort system ensures that fellows are always eager to meet and learn from one another. This past winter, I was lucky enough to visit multiple generations of fellows in Taigu (China), Yogyakarta (Indonesia), and Madurai (India). Witnessing the brilliance of these other Shansi Fellows in action will always be a cherished memory. 

Will the NYC Urban Fellowship build on your work as a Shansi Fellow? If so, in what ways?
As a Shansi Fellow, I am deeply committed to cross-cultural understanding, community, and education. While New York and Japan might be halfway across the world from each other, my experience working to build thriving classroom communities in Japan motivates me to approach public policy in NYC with an eye toward cultural inclusivity.  

How did Oberlin shape or influence you as an academic, thinker, and person?
Oberlin is a place that teaches students how to think, not what to think. From first-year seminars to StudiOC classes, the creativity imbued into Oberlin’s liberal arts curriculum has allowed me to explore careers, ideas, and community spaces that I could have never imagined. As I enter into the world of public service, I am specifically grateful for my experience with Oberlin’s Comparative American Studies department which taught me to interrogate systems of power, privilege, and oppression. 

What’s the best advice you received while you were at Oberlin?
Right before I left for Japan, I started to worry that I was unprepared to live in a new cultural environment. As a Comparative American Studies major, I spent my entire Oberlin career investigating my identity as an Asian-American — I had no idea what my identity would look like as an Asian-American living in, well, Asia! 

After rattling off a list of my concerns, my advisor gave me the following piece of advice: “Assuming that other cultures perceive your American identity in the same way that you perceive yourself, falsely centers an American experience.” In other words, she very kindly suggested that I set aside my preconceived expectations of Japanese identity politics and instead embrace the process of cross-cultural learning. 

Other campus activities: Student Finance Committee; PRSM Trainer; Village Assistant, Residential Assistant for Asia House, Barefoot Dialogue.

Connect with Fellowships & Awards to learn more about the fellowships and awards opportunities available to students, including the Shansi Fellowship.