Current Student Statements

So you're interested in finding out more about Oberlin College? You've come to the right place. We understand that choosing a college is an important and often very personal decision. In order to help out, here is what current students have to say about community at Oberlin College. For more information, feel free to send them an email. Each student has agreed to accept questions from prospective students!     Cheska Tolentino, OC’09 “Coming from a suburban community that was far from being ethnically diverse, I had no idea what to expect from the Asian American community at Oberlin. Although I'm a first-generation Asian American, my family was all I knew about being a part of an Asian American community. When I arrived at Oberlin with the other first-years, I was amazed that the older students were so friendly and encouraging. Throughout the year as we worked on putting together spectacular events, we really got to know each other and felt that we could rely on each other for anything. This community is now my family, and I feel that the friendships we build we will continue far after we leave Oberlin.” (Cheska.Tolentino@oberlin.edu)       John Harper, OC’08 "I have learned that Oberlin is what you make out of it. In the Black community, you have the opportunity to join a family of some of the most talented and educated people around. Take advantage of it.  Like any other family, we all have our issues, but with the help of you brothers and sisters and a little aid from the MRC, we're gonna make it.  Don't be afraid to ask for help because we are all in the same boat, dealing with the same stuff.” (John.Harper@oberlin.edu)     Teresita Prieto, OC’08 “As an active Latina/Chicana/Mexicana from Southern California , when I came to Oberlin I experienced a serious culture shock. As a light-skinned Mexican, I had never felt like a minority among my racially and ethnically diverse community in California, but at Oberlin, it not only became apparent that I was a minority, but being here, became a constant reminder that I was. I instantly became involved in the only Latino/a organization on campus, La Alianza Latina, and decided to take on the responsibility of becoming involved as a board member. I have been a board member since then. La Alianza Latina has shaped my experience in Oberlin in so many ways, I have learned multiple organizing skills, but have also become part of an invaluable community that I feel I would have never found elsewhere at Oberlin. My sense of community at Oberlin has grown over my years here, I am now part of multiple communities; all these spaces share their concern for students of color. My sense of community at Oberlin today is one I feel is genuine, comforting, and essential to my continuation here and the work I plan to do in the future.” (Teresita.Prieto@oberlin.edu)     Lydia Pelot-Hobbs, OC’07 “Hey y'all, I am a senior at Oberlin College. As a white queer anti-racist woman, Oberlin and the MRC specifically has been a great place to connect with other white students committed to doing anti-racism and solidarity work with the various communities of color on campus. Through being a board member of the Edmonia Lewis Center for Women and Transgender People as well as a Comparative American Studies major representative, I have been lucky to be involved in social justice organizing that is explicitly intersectional and committed to dealing with issues of privilege and oppression on a personal as well as institutional level.” (Lydia.Pelot-Hobbs@oberlin.edu)     Daniel Tam-Claiborne, OC’09 “Coming from a non-diverse high school and being half-Asian, I was initially worried about fitting in with the A/PA community at Oberlin. Once I got to campus, however, all of my inhibitions disappeared. The A/PA community is remarkably diverse and tight-knit and people go out of their way to make you feel welcome. The sense of family and kinship is absolutely overwhelming! There are more than enough events and opportunities to get involved with the community and feel like you are making a difference within Oberlin and beyond.” (Daniel.Tam-Claiborne@oberlin.edu)     Eli Conley, OC’08 As a first year I got involved with the Transgender Advocacy Group, and I also started hanging out at the MRC. I fell in with an amazing crowd of activists who urged me to take part in a new student-run reading group on white privilege and racism in student activism. It's now an Experimental College (ExCO) course that people can get credit for! Through taking part in the ExCO three times now, I've found friends who push ourselves to be better allies to people of color, not to mention better activists and people. Other places I've found community have been with the awesome, radical folks at the Edmonia Lewis Center for Women and Transgender People, and through working at the Student Union. I've also been involved with the fight for Asian American Studies, and I'm a Comparative American Studies major, which is a kick butt group of folks who are really invested in both working for social justice and in hanging out. All of these things have definitely given me people who I can just kick back with, but who care about the things I care about in a way I never expected to find. (Eli.Conley@oberlin.edu)     Obed Garcia, OC’09 “Hi, I am a sophomore student at Oberlin College. Coming to Oberlin I had the expectations that the student of color community would not be present, particularly pertaining to the Latino community. However when I arrived I found a community in which I felt comfortable, in other words, we bonded really well. I am not saying that you will not go through difficulties, but when you do there are plenty of people who can relate to your specific situation. Although the student of color community is small it is very vocal and strong at Oberlin and I'm glad to have chosen Oberlin.” (Obed.Garcia@oberlin.edu)     Kantara Souffrant, OC’08 My name is Kantara Souffrant and in no particular order I identify as: Haitian-American (but a member of the greater African Diaspora), Queer, and Female-bodied. Oberlin presents itself as an institution committed to diversity; while this may be true, I've found that diversity doesn't guarantee that everyone will have the same understanding of how race/gender/sexuality/class and other aspects of our identities intersect and affect our human experiences. I entered Oberlin with a certain consciousness about what it meant to be a marginalized person and I soon found that Oberlin was a place where I would have to (at times) validate my identity; not only within predominately white community, but within the Africana community as well. The MRC became the only space in which I could (easily) engage in conversations related to identity politics. I've met some of the most brilliant people (EVER) at the MRC, and in my opinion, it fosters a commitment to social justice through awareness, and education. I am proud to be a member of the MRC community. The MRC might as well be home for me; it's a life-force and I can't imagine my experience at Oberlin without it. And that's the truth. ~~Kantara (Kantara.Souffrant@oberlin.edu)     Shibo Xu, OC’08 “There aren't a great number of Asian Americans on the Oberlin campus. The Asian Americans that are at Oberlin are all very bright, welcoming and friendly. What Oberlin lacks in numbers is more than made up for in intimacy. The Asian Americans at other colleges maybe considered a community. At Oberlin, we consider one another family.” (Shibo.Xu@oberlin.edu)     Phoenix Forbes, OC’08 “I am Black, Queer, Pagan and Proud!! I am an active ally to the Trans/gender communities respectively. One can find me frequenting various student orgs like the Transgender Advocacy Group and Pagan Awareness Network. I work at the Center for Service and Learning in the Community Service Resource Center and am available to interview students looking to do service of almost any kind--satisfaction guaranteed! I eat and work in the Oberlin Student Cooperative Association and live in La Casa Hispanica. Education is my life and calling. If you have any questions about me, the communities I serve or Oberlin (college or town), do not hesitate to call upon me. (phlegethon333@hotmail.com)     Assiatou Diallo, OC'08 “I am a third year student, originally from Guinea and lived in New York City before college. Being at Oberlin as a Black African International student is challenging, but I found that there numerous communities that make being ‘among the few’ on campus not such a depressing experience. Communities like Afrikan Heritage House, the African Students Association, the Muslim Students Association and especially the Multicultural Resource Center helped in making Oberlin a home. The MRC introduced me to many amazing people and lead me to realize that there are also a lot of others who feel that they are “among the few on campus” and that helped me search for the many similarities between us. The MRC is a center which understands that the differences people feel are often created and continued intricate systems of oppression, and learning about these systems helped me realize that our experiences are not always as drastically different as we may think they are. The Edmonia Lewis Center for Women and Transgender People, the Oberlin College Dialogue and safe spaces like the Third World Co-Op also use this framework in their work. As intense as these spaces can be while learning and doing social justice work, they are also places for relaxing, venting, and laughing. One thing is for sure is you won’t be alone at Oberlin.” (adiallo@oberlin.edu)