A Continuing Appointment

What began as a visiting appointment is continuing — now in a permanent way.

When I arrived at Oberlin in the fall, I didn’t know what to expect beyond the year itself. I came ready to teach, to listen, and to do good work, fully assuming I would stay for the academic year and then return to my full-time independent teaching life.

What I didn’t expect was how quickly I would become attached to Oberlin.

I didn’t expect to feel so connected to the program, to my colleagues, or to my students. I didn’t expect the work to feel so natural. And, jokingly, I didn’t even expect to have an office — something I had never had in academia before. Before the school year began, I received an email notifying me that I had a “room number,” which genuinely surprised me. I wasn’t prepared to decorate, so I walked in on the first day with Clorox wipes, plastic gloves, and a trash can (because I like to be sanitary), set things up, and felt strangely proud to have my own space on a college campus. Empty room and all, it already felt like it was mine.

As the semester unfolded and I got to know my students, something began to settle internally.

There was a peace in the work, and it was a peace I recognized early on. I genuinely enjoyed being there — watching the students work, teaching, and being immersed in such an artistically thriving environment.

Not long into the semester, students began asking me about my plans for the following year. Some wondered why I was only staying for one year, while others tried to convince me to stick around longer. When I explained that I was contracted only for the current academic year, they were genuinely confused — and jokingly stunned — because they had already assumed I would be staying. Those moments meant more to me than I can fully express. My only goal had been to show up well for them, to teach with care, and to guide them as thoughtfully as I could. Knowing they wanted me to stay grounded me more deeply — to them and to the institution.

So when the permanent position opened, I knew what I needed to do.

With encouragement from my family and a few close friends, I applied. I interviewed. Then I waited, nervously, because I wanted to stay at Oberlin more than I realized I would. I’m deeply grateful that I listened to God, trusted my tribe, and allowed myself to step toward something that felt both exciting and vulnerable.

That process ultimately led to my joining the faculty in this new, full-time, permanent capacity.

We often associate permanence with something fixed or unchanging, but for me, it represents change.

This change came from trusting God and being willing to follow a path I hadn’t planned. It came from releasing what I knew, only to discover a place I didn’t expect to love — a place that brought peace and happiness quietly over time. Through this permanence of change, I now have a place. I have stakes in something, and somewhere, that I care deeply about. Much of my career has been spent as an adjunct or lecturer, dividing my time across multiple spaces, and I genuinely loved that life. But this role brought with it a welcome shift, one I knew would reshape my life in meaningful ways.

There is room now to breathe.
To slow down.
To return to old hobbies and create new personal traditions.

This role also allows me to continue teaching my wonderful private clients and creating the content I love — but now with more intention, balance, and pace.

This season of my life has reminded me that everything has its time. Seasons change. Paths unfold. And when we remain open to the ebb and flow of change, we sometimes find ourselves exactly where we are meant to be — even when we didn’t realize it was meant for us until it was revealed.

I’m grateful to continue this work at Oberlin Conservatory of Music as Assistant Professor of Music Theater in Voice.