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 the “best kept secret in the Midwest”
Holland Hamilton ’11
“Before coming to Oberlin, I had sworn off theater completely. In fact, I was done with performing in general. But looking back, I have no clue how I thought I could have gotten away with choosing...
On Oberlin’s Student Senate
Ben Klebanoff ’09
“Students take active roles in all levels of the Oberlin administration, help determine the courses that are available for students to take, and help make hiring decisions.”
On the Big Swap
Stacia Thompson ’11
“We are sustainability royalty for the week. Who else would skate home wrapped in a down comforter and carrying green alligator pillows under their arms all in the name of re-use and resource...
On America’s first black president
Myrina D. McCullough ’69
“I’m glad and proud that I … and countless other Obies who have also shared their stories here all rejected the paralyzing fear of “otherness” that keeps people apart and keeps our world fragmented.”
On joining Latin dance group Movimiento
Jennifer Jimenez ’17
“Walking into rehearsal every Thursday and Sunday night, I am greeted with hugs and kisses and an energy that is as vibrant as the salsas and merengues we dance to.”
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 finding his “voice” again after so many years of medical training
Tom Carroll ’96
“I am blessed that I remained firmly committed to my seemingly disparate passions for voice and medicine. Professor Miller must have been able to see something then that I never could have...
On her semester abroad
Nora Frederickson ’10
“What does dancing on the bar of a rural Austrian disco have to do with an Oberlin education? (Answer inside!)”
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 the improv scene at Oberlin
Corina Bardoff ’07
“[It] is so accepting and completely full of fantastically talented and inventive people who want nothing more than to “yes” what you give them.”
On sources of inspiration
Zoe Darsee ’13
“Oberlin has given me these opportunities within Ohio and more importantly beyond Ohio... widening my experience and giving me a greater understanding of worlds outside my daily comforts.”
On finding her path
Qian Cheng ’13
“Oberlin opens up so many opportunities and challenges for students to explore life choices that even if you have absolutely no idea what you are heading for... you will always somehow find your...