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 getting to Oberlin and returning
Jim Sunshine ’46
“Once here, I never looked back. I went off to war, came back after three years, graduated in 1949, married a classmate in Fairchild Chapel, took up that career in journalism, and returned 56 years...
On injury
Christina Spencer ’11
“For the past week, I’ve had to sit out from the Yeowomen’s Basketball team with a sprained ankle. Being unable to play or practice has only intensified my passion for this sport. Now, I crave...
On being selected as a Cole Scholar
Tyler Robinson ’11
“Across the board, students emerge from the program feeling academically invigorated, and many have a keener sense of personal identity. I am no exception.”
On playing Ottavia
Patty Stubel ’09
“While it’s entertaining to talk about my grand expertise in lying on the floor, this experience truly did expand my abilities as a performer.”
On interning at a hedge fund
Juliette Lu ’12
“I had preconceived ideas of finance as a lofty, entirely mathematical, robotically exact, and overall boring kind of field. In no way, shape, or form would I have predicted that I would end up where...
On organizing a conference his senior year
Daniel Domaguin ’06
“[it was] an event whose legacy affects others and permeates the thought processes, ideals and actions of students who continue to advocate for Ethnic Studies, equality and social justice on campus...
On being a biology tutor
Abigail Lofchie ’12
“I like... seeing students become comfortable with the material so that they can enjoy it instead of just seeing the class as a source of stress.”
On building a community
Rachel Bouer ’12
“The lights of the Sukkah exceeded my expectations. A full belly and a fall scarf kept me warm as the lights around me glowed, showing off the work the co-op had done together the day before. Oberlin...
On progress toward gender equality
Leanne Wagner ’76
“Watching my daughter ... study with many more than one woman professor in the sciences, and not be constrained in her choices of what was to come after Oberlin, I realize that the Oberlin tradition...
On making friends
Emily Brennan ’15
“The benefits of the meaningful conversations I had with my new friends outside of the classroom were robust... My friends became my teachers — a true Oberlin education.”
On fighting back
Amanda Turley ’10
“My freshman year, I joined the planning committee for Oberlin’s first ever Relay for Life. For the event, I started my own team: the Pirates Dueling Cancer, decked out in black and red pirate attire...
On the Oberlin ethos
Ryan Brazell ’05
“It’s about refusing to put ANYONE into a box, regardless of what they may appear to be on the surface. It’s about treating others with dignity, and kindness, and respect, regardless of whether you...