oberlin-high.org

[Geoff Andrews]

Dear friends,

Retired minister John Elder gave a stirring sermon last Sunday entitled Puzzles with Solutions and Puzzles without Solutions. It was timely, as Cindy and I have long considered the possibility of an overseas assignment, and puzzled over the timing of any such work. An opportunity recently presented itself, and we have decided to embark on what we are calling “the adventure of a lifetime.” I have accepted a position as the director of the Western Academy of Beijing in Beijing, China, effective August 1, 2011. WAB is an amazing international environment with students and teachers from all over the world.

The work in Oberlin has been a passionate calling for me, and this decision was not a puzzle with an easy solution. The work in Oberlin is meaningful and important, and in my (admittedly biased) opinion, it has largely been successful – the schools are in a better place for the work we have done together. The graduates are all getting into college, the IB program is institutionalized, and the state declares that we are doing an excellent job. I feel great about the staff and administrative hires we have made in the last several years, and I believe the board will keep the school on the same trajectory.

I am grateful for the opportunity to have served the Oberlin community, and we remain residents – we are not selling the house, and we have deep family roots here (my niece is the seventh generation in our family to have attended Oberlin College). I will cherish the remaining nine months of my time in this role, and will do all I can to help ease whatever transition awaits the schools. I will also keep an eye on the Oberlin Project, which has the potential to transform a city, a region, and a nation. I hope the community will join together in embracing that ambitious initiative, and as I look to the future, I wish everyone in Oberlin nothing but the best.

With all best wishes and kind regards,

Geoffrey G. Andrews
OHS ‘79


“…back at home it’s afternoon, 6,000 miles away
it will still be there when I get through attending this soiree
There’re jobs and chores and questions, and plates I need to twirl,
But tonight I’ll take my chances on the far side of the world….”

- Jimmy Buffett