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 a day in the life of a double-degree student
Woan Foong Wong ’09
“I was congratulated by friends who had either attended my honors economics presentation or had played my piece in the orchestra... how impossible my life would have been had I taken my diverse...
On organizing a mentoring program in Lorain, OH
PJ Carter ’09
“The culture of Oberlin encourages students to get deeply involved in what they are passionate about and to make a difference.”
On the Slam Poetry ExCo
Kelsey Atkinson ’12
“I was thrilled that I found an ExCo that so closely suited my interests and motivated me to keep writing, revising, and sharing my poems.”
On getting married at the Big Parade
David Weasley ’06
“I love the combinations of people at the Big Parade, the way someone will walk up to you and say, “Excuse me, sir, will you wear this giant carrot costume?””
On Christianity at Oberlin
Alex Darr ’08
“I learned so much. I became a true leader. I learned how to make decisions as part of a team. I learned to be a peacemaker between friends... I discovered a lot more about who God is.”
On reawakening an interest in accessibility
Rebecca Klein ’18
“As a Student Accessibility Advocate, my world at Oberlin expanded. I met new people just as interested in conversations about disability as I was, people whom I now consider some of my closest...
On living in the Women’s Collective
Lisa Amor Petrov ’85
“I was blessed by the intimacy that can come from searching, together with other women, for an understanding of what it means to be a feminist.”
On being part of establishing SWAP, a book cooperative
Evan Cameron ’15
“Several members of the class and I thought, “Wait a second. We’re doing all of this work to describe this co-op. Why don’t we make this idea a reality?””
On biking across Japan
Andy Bartholomew ’07
“From March 15th to June 10th, I cycled from Kyushu to Nagano. Nearly every day I flash back to some moment of my trip to Japan. I’ll hop on my bike, or see a train, and I’ll remember my first day...
On building a sustainable coalition
Samantha Bass ’11
“It amazes me that one year after proposing the Compost Work Group, composting is on its way to becoming a permanent reality at Oberlin.”
On working with the Oberlin Action for Civil Rights
Matthew Rinaldi ’69
“Oberlin played a major role in the student civil rights movement... Not just one person, but many people, linked arm and arm together, ended the reign of white supremacy in the Deep South.”
On a (failed) attempt at an individual major
Hannah Varadi ’15
“I now have a better grasp of how all my language-based interests—translation, journalism, and, yes, fiction writing—tie into comparative literature.”