Oberlin Stories Project
On Tending the Learning Garden
I learned what grew where and when each species bloomed...I learned that actively engaging in nature, every day, is the best teacher of these things—better than any book or classroom could ever do...
Amanda Salmons ’23
On Promoting Youth Climate Action
‘‘Prior to attending Oberlin, I was unaware of the extent and impact of climate change. In the fall as a first-year, I was introduced to research in the environmental studies department and was...
Harriet McSurdy ’23
On the Asia House dragon
“It would have been tedious work except that it was ambitious, self-directed, and had nothing to do with classes or credits. What made it something to look forward to was the enjoyment of working...
Bill Heinrich ’81
On embracing public speaking
“My tenure on the Student Union Board helped me to know with certainty that I wanted to enter a world of pivotal dialogue with a firm, clear voice, and gave me confidence that I could.”
Ty Diringer ’14
On bonding with professors
“On bowling night, anyone interested in the History department can come to the College’s bowling alley and bowl for free! Why is this fun? Because most of us can’t bowl to save our lives.”
Patrick Doherty ’11
On choosing Oberlin
“I had devoted countless hours in high school to efforts to better integrate the Rochester school systems and didn’t want to go to a place where diversity was an afterthought.”
Diane C. Yu ’73
On what a student co-op in Oberlin has in common with Nicaragua’s strongest union
“As we sat in my host mom Jacinta’s kitchen, I felt like a true partner, fighting alongside the UNAG because we want the same things for the same people.”
Alice Ollstein ’10
On being a part of OCTaiko
“...being a good taiko drummer is not so much having the perfect techniques; it is more a commitment to being part of a group that shares the same energy and tries to figure out the key to ki...
Yue Qiu ’14
On civic engagement
“Fast forward four years, many hours of community service, a lot of growing up, and one Oberlin degree later, and I found myself back in a place where I sought solace and found empowerment - through...
Rachel Benson ’08
On opportunity
“At Oberlin, there is something—a club, a research lab, a play—for everyone to take part in, succeed in, and, best of all, enjoy.”
Lauren Choban ’16
On deciding to go vegan
“It’s this passion that I’ll transplant into my academic work this fall, as I begin writing an Honors thesis in philosophy on animal ethics.”
Evelyn Wagaman ’17
On passion
“I spent my junior year working in Special Collections: looking at rare books, taking them apart, putting them back together, petting, and loving them. The job was fantastic: this is what I’d always...
Anna Arays ’10