Bridget Conway
Oberlin College
Bridget Conway is a junior double majoring in studio art and comparative literature who has distinguished herself as a tutor and leader in the Oberlin Writing Partnership (OWP). In this community-based work-study program, Oberlin College students assist Oberlin High School students with planning, writing, and editing essays in classroom and drop-in settings. Bridget has participated in the OWP since it began as a pilot in 2018 in response to an expressed need for enhanced writing support at Oberlin High School. Bridget has taken on increasing responsibilities within the program, and this year she serves as a Tutor Supervisor. She facilitates the participation of an expanding group of Oberlin College students whose work furthers educational equity and supports local youth in honing the writing skills they will need for success in their professional and college lives after high school. Bridget also helps create opportunities for meaningful interactions between college students and year-round Oberlin residents. In addition to Bridget’s work with the OWP, Bridget promotes arts and culture in Oberlin. She is actively involved with WOBC, the campus and community radio station, and helps to organize events that encourage diversity in the performing arts.
Personal Statement
Throughout my time at Oberlin, one of my favorite experiences has been working as a Writing Partner in the Oberlin High School (OHS). It’s been an incredibly fulfilling experience because I've been able to use my place in the community to uplift and prioritize OHS students, especially as I have continued my involvement, becoming a tutor supervisor in the last year. This gave me the opportunity to collaborate with other Writing Partners and reflect on why I find community involvement so important. Taking an approach to writing pedagogy that prioritizes these students, I focus on having conversations with them about their writing and giving them the tools to become successful students, writers, and thinkers inside OHS, throughout Oberlin’s greater community, and beyond. Working with the Oberlin Writing Partnership has given me an opportunity to use my own education and privilege to support students and teachers at OHS, ultimately collaborating with them on an experience both of teaching and learning.
