Harriett Ahmed Thomas has been teaching in the Oberlin School District since September 1976.  Born in Fort Worth, Texas, she moved to Philadelphia, PA at the age of two.  She is a product of the Philadelphia Public Schools, where she began violin lessons in the fifth grade.  Ms. Thomas is a 1972 graduate of the Philadelphia High School for Girls and received both her Bachelor and Master degrees in Music Education from the Oberlin College-Conservatory of Music in 1976, where she studied violin with Dorothy Mauney and Andor Toth, Sr.  She has done post graduate work at Vandercook College, University of Wisconsin - Madison, and Ashland University.

Ms. Thomas served as Dean of Students, Schedule Coordinator, Ensemble Coach, and Assistant to the Director for the Summer Music Experience Program on the Western Reserve Academy Campus in Hudson, Ohio for many years.  She was the director of the Northern Ohio Youth Symphonetta Orchestra for ten years. 

Her current position includes teaching the 5th Grade Orchestra at Prospect Elementary School; 6th, 7th, and 8th grade Orchestras and an Honors Orchestra at Langston Middle School, Director of the Oberlin High School Orchestra and Instructor of the International Baccalaureate Music Courses at Oberlin High School. Ms. Thomas is currently in her thirty-fifth year of teaching. She is the advisor for the Tri-M Music Honor Society and works with individual students and small groups before and after school each day. The past six summers, Ms.Thomas has worked as a Conductor and Sectional Coach at the Baldwin Wallace Conservatory of Music Summer String Camp.

Ms. Thomas is a member of the School Calendar, and Music Curriculum Committees. In past years she has served as a Mentor Teacher, chairmen of the Foundation for Excellent Schools Committee. and on the Contract Negotiations Team, She is an active member of ASTA, MENC, and OEA.

Past awards include: February 1986 Oberlin District Recognition Award,  the NANBPWC Inc 1989 Professional Award ,  1991 Cleveland Plain Dealer Crystal Apple Award Nominee, the 2005 Oberlin College Award for Distinguished Service to the Community, the 2003 and 2007 Oberlin Community Teacher of the Year.

Ms. Thomas is also a part-time Travel Agent.  She plans and organizes cruises, tours, individual, and group vacation packages in her spare time.