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.
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Contributed by Prof. Laurie McMillin
“Jabali left Oberlin in 2000 with a degree in Biology and no set plans. But he knew he wanted to teach... At the age of 27, he became the principal of Excellence Charter School in Bedford Stuyvesant...
Jabali Sawicki ’00
On language as a gateway
“I am still a little surprised that a job as a translator of standardized test instructions ended up teaching me about Ohio history, but, then again, my experiences with Chinese at Oberlin have...
Brendan Nuse ’17
On building a community
“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...
Rachel Bouer ’12
On teaching an ExCo on Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment
“I realized I needed to create a space where I could discuss many issues present in contemporary Christian theology with only my peers.”
Lauren Crawford ’16
On her path from Oberlin
“I began thinking I wanted to be a teacher and a poet and left knowing I wanted to be a lawyer...What I probably didn’t appreciate fully while I was at Oberlin are the intangibles that make it so...
Jill Herman ’77
On getting to Oberlin and returning
“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...
Jim Sunshine ’46
On injury
“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...
Christina Spencer ’11
On collecting stories in Nepal
“I had this fantastical notion that I would just walk up to someone, and be like, “Hey man, you have any stories?” Then, I would sit back, regaled by their idiosyncratic tales. This was not to be the...
Sage Aronson ’12
On writing and producing her own play
“Without the tenacity and fearlessness of the staff at Oberlin, as well as the flexibility of creative exploration, From the Inside, Out would never have become a reality.”
Maggie Keenan-Bolger ’06
On the connections between Capoeira and social rights activism
“The conversation starts with you. You can’t sit around waiting for someone else to start it for you.”
Dan Barella ’15
On being a part of the Student Finance Committee
“Oberlin retains a special place in my heart because of the people, and being part of the student organization at the core of student life on campus helped me cultivate those friendships.”
Abbas Mohsin ’13
On learning to be a writing tutor
“It was not simply a course in how one tutors. It was an exploration of writing as a catalytic form of expression and interaction. It was the complete taking apart of how I put together words and...
Sean Nagamatsu ’07