Oberlin Stories Project
We have collected hundreds of personal narratives from students, alumni, faculty, and staff that explain the merits and strengths of Oberlin through the eyes of those who have experienced it firsthand.
Add your story
On identifying with her students
“I know many of the students and some of their struggles, in part because their struggles were once my own... But I also know that as these graduates walked off that stage, they felt exultant.”
Melissa Ballard
On being a member of Oberlin Student Finance and Investment Club
“All club members learn together in various forms: an ExCo, themed discussions at meetings, and, most often, the teamwork involved with putting together the stock presentations.”
Jiayu Lin ’11
On learning to choose
“Oberlin has helped me with something that I have struggled with my entire life — the strength to make choices and believe in them despite any regrets that might follow.”
Chelsea de Souza ’16
On opportunity
“I showed up at a meeting with a vague notion that I might want to work as an intern on Capitol Hill. What I hadn’t expected was that a professor I barely knew, Paul Dawson, would place me with an up...
Susan Troy ’76
On running and surviving senior year
“I outlined my thesis on thirteen-mile long runs. I wrote my application essays on bus rides to races. My experiences as a student-athlete influenced my proposal to study high-school athletics during...
Nicky Ouellet ’09
On Oberlin family history
“If I stare carefully at the ceiling of the turret and employ my imagination, I can see the mural mosaic that was painted while my father lived in the room.”
Julia Maier ’12
On embracing independence
“Since coming to Oberlin, I have been fully responsible for my life and making important life decisions...I have started listening to myself and following my own path.”
Dagmawi Gebreselasse ’14
On ObieGame
“Five years ago two Obies created a game. Showing great wit, they named it ObieGame. Beyond this, facts are amorphous at best.”
Aaron Mucciolo ’02
On unexpected birthday surprises
“In that chord, I felt the warmth of belonging—my voice lost in the blend of others around me.”
Phoebe Hammer ’14
On the Oberlin College Dialogue Center
“[we work] with the hopes of building an inclusive campus-climate and global community where individuals can interact with each other earnestly ... and live amongst each other with a sense of...
Kantara Souffrant ’08
On succeeding through adversity
“Oberlin takes those with ambition and provides them with a world of opportunities. I entered Oberlin as a housekeeper and graduated four years later with a degree in economics.”
Yolanda Walker ’09
On her first home volleyball game at Oberlin
“It had been my dream to play college volleyball since I can remember and as I stood star struck looking up at the flag, I could not help but smile and realize that I had done it. I was living the...
Elizabeth Wong ’12