Melanie Oberman: Oberman on Leadership and Giving

Melanie Oberman says that when she arrived on campus four years ago, "I wasn't really sure of what I wanted or who I was. I thought I knew, but I really didn't."

Don't confuse Oberman's candidness about that initial uncertainty with a lack of academic drive or social timidity. It just took some time and intellectual experimentation for the 22-year-old from Weston, Conn., to find her niche.

Her journey, as much personal as academic, began with a flourish. As a first-year student, she threw herself into activities, serving on her residence hall's house council, playing tennis on Duke's club team, swimming, running and taking part in a summertime leadership retreat. By her sophomore year, Oberman was president of both Club Tennis and Club Sports, overseeing a student-run organization with 38 clubs and more than 1,600 participants. She also served as a legislator with Duke Student Government and pledged a sorority.

At the same time, she was signing up for classes "that sounded neat and exciting. And every class that I thought looked fun was in public policy studies."

Her favorite class during those first two years was "Women as Leaders," taught by Betsy Alden, coordinator for service learning in the Kenan Institute for Ethics. In addition to classroom lessons, Oberman led weekly mentoring sessions for at-risk girls at Chewning Middle School in Durham and organized a seminar on how athletics in childhood can be influential later in life.

"Her enthusiasm for our service-learning component was contagious," Alden recalled. "She infected the rest of her peers with a dedication to mentoring these middle school girls. And she took charge of designing meaningful activities for each session with them."

While enjoying the whirlwind of activities, Oberman said she was still looking for something more. Spending the first semester of her junior year studying abroad in Spain turned out to be just what this public policy studies major, with a minor in Spanish, needed.

"That was definitely the turning point in my Duke career," Oberman said, who studied history, art history, photography and Spanish. She also taught English to 35 Spanish seventh-graders. "I think studying abroad is a necessity for everyone to do."

Upon returning to Durham, Oberman decided to build on that experience by starting an English as a Second Language (ESL) tutoring program at Lakewood Elementary, one of the public schools in the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership. The program, which sent Duke students into the school for one-on-one tutoring sessions, was so successful it expanded to a second partner school, Watts Elementary.

"I really like organizing things that are going to make a difference. I enjoy being involved with programs and I get true pleasure seeing other people reap the benefits of those efforts."

A class that same year on philanthropy and moral leadership taught by public policy professor Tony Brown prompted Oberman's next service-learning project: a house course titled "The Durham Giving Project." With direction from Brown, who Oberman calls "my mentor at Duke," and Sam Miglarese, assistant director of Duke's Office of Community Affairs, Oberman and two classmates drew up a syllabus, tracked down reading material and guest speakers, identified key issues facing Durham and devised a business plan.

The for-credit course for undergraduates, which Oberman's team taught this spring, provided a historical overview of philanthropy and civic responsibility. As a hands-on lesson, Oberman charged her 14 students with raising $5,000 (at least $250 each) and choosing how to disburse that money -- along with a $5,000 matching contribution from the Office of the President - to local organizations that applied for grants.

"People put a lot of effort in," Oberman said. Fund-raising efforts included a pool tournament at the Green Room, pledges from 9th Street merchants and a share of the proceeds from the sale of Paul Newman salad dressing at Whole Foods Market. "Students weren't just asking their parents to write a check," she stressed.

Choosing grant recipients proved to be a challenge, too. Grantees included a fund to purchase winter coats, gloves, hats and shoes at a local elementary school, an adult literacy program aimed at helping parents read to their children, and sets and costumes for a Spanish-only production of "Romeo and Juliet."

Oberman's efforts helped earn her a 2003 William J. Griffith University Service Award.

"Melanie exemplifies what is best about Duke University: the combination of excellence in the classroom with the highest ideals of service to the community," said Miglarese. "She is highly motivated, has a razor-sharp focus and has the unique gift of sharing her vision in a compelling manner."

After graduation, Oberman will move to Washington, D.C., and begin her job with American Management Systems, a technical consulting firm.

"I'll be travelling about 100 percent of the time, meeting new people, working with them on solutions to their problems. It sounds exciting," she said. "But I'm going to miss this place intellectually. I love this campus. It's strange to think I won't be here next school year."

Whether Oberman will still be working as a business analyst for state and local governments in 10 years is anyone's guess. "If I can see the impact that I'm having on people, that's what will drive me," she said.

Whatever she chooses, Brown knows she will be making a difference.

"The most important things about Melanie are her positive attitude about life, her enthusiasm and her affirmation of others," said Brown. "It's her wonderful human spirit that makes her so effective."