A Twist of Fate
Were it not for a twist of fate, or a twisted knee, in this case, Emma Oborny’s Midland story might never have been written.
Having been in her role as Business Development & Events Specialist in the Institutional Advancement office for over a year, Emma’s path to college took a dramatic turn before it even began.
“I danced for 14 years growing up, eight of those competitively, and I had signed with another university to dance in college. I ended up tearing my meniscus and had knee surgery a week before classes started. I made a last-minute decision to attend Midland and transferred on the first day of classes. My Midland story is a little different than most, but I wouldn’t trade how I ended up at Midland!”
A 2019 Midland graduate, Emma worked as Director of Marketing and Communications for the Fremont Area Chamber of Commerce before making the jump to Midland in September of 2021. “Midland was my home for 3 ½ years as a student, and I absolutely loved the culture, family feel, and Warrior Spirit. I’m lucky to be able to experience that today as both a proud alum and employee. You can go anywhere on campus and get a friendly ‘hello’ from multiple people.”
In her time as a student, Emma felt inspired by professors, classmates, and friends. She hopes to provide the same support to current students. “When I was a student at Midland, I always had people in my corner supporting me and rooting for me. I was given amazing opportunities and experiences through class projects, field trips, and my work-study job. So many people impacted my life throughout my time at Midland, and if I could do that for even one student, I would know I accomplished something.”
Emma believes it’s important for students to be willing to go on new adventures in college and not pass up opportunities to experience new things. “I would tell students to take chances and get out of their comfort zone. You won’t want to look back on your college years and wish you had joined that club, signed up for that intramural sport, or applied for that internship. You never know what experiences, opportunities, or friendships you could have developed from taking a small chance and getting out of your comfort zone.”
Outside Midland, Emma stays busy with her own photography business, EJ Photography, which she started six years ago. When not snapping photos, she also likes to go country dancing with friends.
Getting to know Emma Oborny:
Snack you can’t resist: Tortilla chips and dip. Doesn’t matter the dip; I will most likely eat it. However, white queso and salsa are my two favorites!
When flipping channels, I’ll always stop to watch this: Any Nicholas Sparks movie. I’m a sucker for romantic movies!
What artist dominates your playlist? Usually Morgan Wallen or Ian Munsick, but honestly, any country.
What Is your ideal vacation? I love experiencing new things and new places, so I’d go just about anywhere I can learn or do something new.
What is your most used emoji? The crying laughing 🤣emoji.
