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.
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On Oberlin’s inclusive music scene
Charles Abbott ’14
“Collaboration plays a fundamental role in the community’s constant appetite for great art. This inclusivity is indicative of the communal Oberlin personality that makes it such an incredible place.”
On being successful in business
Thomas Kutzen ’76
“It takes the same willingness to be involved that I discovered at Oberlin, the ability to examine the community and to be an individual therein with the right blend of independence, challenge,...
On an Oberlin education
Nolan Grieve ’10
“Each semester, to my continual surprise, Oberlin provides me both with the raw material of life experience and the tools with which to shape it into something with purpose.”
On organizing a Bassoon Quartet tour of China
Joycelyn Eby ’09
“As someone who was reluctant to go to college “in the middle of a bunch of cornfields,” I now can’t imagine having gone anywhere else for school ... no other institution would be so supportive of my...
On getting to New Orleans
Cria Kay ’16
“Navigating time commitments and cost restraints, I was surprised by how many opportunities appeared in front of me.”
On keeping a dream alive
Zoe Beach ’17
“While I chose Oberlin for the strength and opportunities of its science programs, I was overjoyed to find that Oberlin not only had a circus, but it had the facilities and equipment for aerial work.”
On an Oberlin education
Prof. Sebastiaan Faber
“One of the most important things you will learn here is to express yourself, to engage in dialogue, to respect others’ ideas, and to allow them to change your own. ”
On the integration of classics in her life
Lauren Clark ’11
“I’ve found beauty and strength in recognizing temporality, which has brought me to understand translation across language and temporal boundaries as a positive and connective process.”
On solidifying cross-generational friendships
Eleanor Van Buren ’17
“From the first reply I received from Francine Schutzman ’67, I knew we were on to something.”
On founding Violin for Vasculitis
Allison Lint ’09
“I am more often labeled an “activist” than a “touring violin virtuoso,” [but] that doesn’t alter my goal. I am musically fulfilled through this project more than I ever could be as a healthy...
On being a Bonner Scholar
Rocio Leon ’13
“Even though I am naturally shy and quiet, all the laughs, cheesy moments, and of course, all the Bonner Love... made me more comfortable to be myself and increased my confidence.”
On exploring the radically shifting publishing world
Mack Gelber ’10
“This is the chief thrill of interning at a literary agency. You never know if the next manuscript in the stack is going to be a dud or the potential classic of our time.”