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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![Lillie performs a role on stage](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/lillie_chilen_08.jpg?itok=fJDXGgyG)
On playing Poppea
“It’s still hard to believe that as a lowly undergrad, I got the chance to play Poppea - opera’s earliest gold digger - and find the music that truly fits my voice.”
Lillie Chilen ’08
![Arches of balloons in front of the Mudd building](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/george_saines_08.jpg?itok=DvBXuZVj)
On the genesis of a company
“[My roommate] had a crazy idea: working for yourself and starting a company is way more creative and fulfilling than working at a preexisting company, and here we are six months after graduation [...
George Saines ’08
![Arianna playing electric bass on stage](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/arianna_gil_16.jpg?itok=Amamxqz3)
On finding a personal space
“Establishing meaningful relationships with supportive professors through hard work and dedication is the most important thing you can do as a new student.”
Arianna Gil ’16
![A group of friends stands with arms around one another.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/san_maday_travis_11.jpg?itok=DIRkGkQP)
On learning to stop worrying and love economics
“We found ourselves struggling to fit tough questions into broad, vast subjects focused on a more traditional perspective... so we decided to create that space ourselves.”
San Maday Travis ’11
![Matt salutes. He is wearing the dress uniform of the Urbana Police Department.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/matt_rivers_04.jpg?itok=98CEo9kn)
On musical training and non-musical careers
“I hadn’t been in law enforcement for long before I realized that many of the same characteristics of police work are similar to playing in a jazz group.”
Matt Rivers ’04
![Wearing an audio headset, Jabali works with a couple of school-age boys](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jabali_sawicki_00.jpg?itok=7UNTs13M)
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
![Four students at a scenic overlook](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/brendan_nuse_17.jpg?itok=IWltyn8n)
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
![Ballrooom dance rehearsal in a gymnasium.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sophia_bamert_13.jpg?itok=y5UNHPxC)
On becoming herself
“Oberlin gave me the push that I needed to pursue my goals, to see myself as an actor in the world rather than a mere collector of personae.”
Sophia Bamert ’13
![With a waterfall in the background, Miranda stands by an informational sign headlined Healthy Habitat.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/miranda_fisher_12.jpg?itok=dcR3uB_V)
On an interdisciplinary education
“Learning isn’t just about memorizing static content for a specific class; it’s about shattering the boundaries of a subject and seeing how you can apply its content in different contexts.”
Miranda Fisher ’12
![Jill and her son hold up an Oberlin College degree](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jill_herman_77.jpg?itok=XLUrUXUq)
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
![A group of friends, all smiling](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/chetan_poudel_14.jpg?itok=GdeyFc0N)
On being an international student at Oberlin
“The international student orientation days always come to mind as serving as the springboard that launched me headfirst into the charms of Oberlin’s diverse and global connections.”
Chetan Poudel ’14
![Teresa Heinz Housel](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/teresa_heinz_housel_94.jpg?itok=jjFyiVTX)
On being at Oberlin
“I could safely question the cultural values that had been drilled into me as the truth, and with that security, I could intellectually and emotionally reach my full potential. ”
Teresa Heinz Housel ’94