Madeleine Margaret Gefke
Name
Madeleine Margaret Gefke
Degree
Bachelor of Arts
Major
Biology
Environmental Studies
Hometown
About Me
I am a Biology and Environmental Studies double major focused on ecology and communication, and have been a member of Pyle Cooperative for 3 years. I have loved conducting research in Professor Mary Garvin's disease ecology lab for 3 years and working on community-based projects in the Environmental Studies program, including my watershed education capstone and the exhilarating Earth Day 50 celebration! The most rewarding part of my Oberlin experience is the community of people I feel fortunate to learn from, work with, and find friendship in as I try to figure out who I want to be and what I want to do. From classes, Pyle meals, and dance projects to music rehearsals, late night study sessions, and outings club trips, I am so thankful for the amazing people I have met, the interesting conversations, the words of encouragement, the inspiration, and so much more.
Study Abroad
Thailand with the International Sustainable Development Studies Institute (ISDSI), Fall 2018 of Junior Year
Campus Jobs
Research Assistant
SOAR leader
Oberlin Admissions tour guide
Teaching assistant
Science Center courtyard gardener
Favorite Place
Science Center courtyard/butterfly garden. I have gardened in this small, beautiful Eden my entire time at Oberlin and love tracking the seasons through the bees and the plants.
Favorite Class
Natural History of the Vermilion River Watershed. I loved spending hours each week outside visiting different parts of the watershed and keeping a nature journal full of my observations. I also met Professor Mary Garvin, who is a huge part of my Oberlin experience and has changed my life in ways I could not have imagined as a freshman in her seminar class.
Clubs & Organizations
BalletOberlin
Contra Dance Club
Dandelion Romp
Oberlin Student Cooperative Association
Outings Club
ViBE Dance Company
Pitch Please A Cappella Group
Barefoot Dialogue
Oberlin Climate Education Advocacy and Lobbying (OCEAL)
Notable Quote
"I believe in kindness. Also in mischief. Also in singing, especially when singing is not necessarily prescribed." -Mary Oliver
Memorable Oberlin Moment
All of the friend group dinners, cooking with each other or bringing food potluck style. Such good food, wonderful community, the best of times with Brian, Olivia, Maya, Lynn, Kenneth, Rehaan, Joaquin and Marc. After four years of becoming friends, we are here!
Graduation Date
05/25/2020
Future Plans
After graduation, I will be spending the next two years in South India as a Shansi Fellow working with the Keystone Foundation, an organization in collaboration with local indigenous communities that focuses on people and environments in a holistic approach to eco-development.
Citation
“Madeleine Margaret Gefke,” OC2020, accessed March 29, 2024, https://www.oc2020.oberlincollegelibrary.org/items/show/129.