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 shock of arriving in Indonesia
Jonathan Pincus ’83
“I managed to get to the Menteng Hotel, where I witnessed an oversized rat execute a bellyflop into the hotel pool. That night I wondered if I had made a huge mistake. I hadn’t.”
On academics at Oberlin
Toussaint Mears-Clarke ’09
“Understanding the subject matter of any class at Oberlin is an undertaking that requires a deliberate purpose of mind. Professors bring you to understand a subject without ever just giving you the...
On spending a winter term in France
Megan MacDonald ’13
“There was certainly a lot I didn’t know when I got off that plane in the Paris airport. If my time in France taught me anything, though, it’s that there’s a certain beauty in not knowing.”
On teaching jump rope in Tanzania
Mike Fry ’09
“It may seem unconventional. You’re right - it is. That’s part of what drew me to Oberlin. What I see on a daily basis are students who aren’t afraid to try something completely new, entirely...
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 the Oberlin Orchestra China Tour
Nicolee Kuester ’10
“... in spite of the stress and discomfort, my memories of the tour are overwhelmingly dominated by those moments of recognition that we experience only when we travel, the overriding reminders of...
On what a student co-op in Oberlin has in common with Nicaragua’s strongest union
Alice Ollstein ’10
“As we sat in my host mom Jacinta’s kitchen, I felt like a true partner, fighting alongside the UNAG because we want the same things for the same people.”
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 her winter term in Tokyo
Amy Hourcade ’15
“I was thrust out of my comfort zone, thanks to Oberlin, and have never been happier.”
On studying away
Peter Nguyen ’16
“I’m very passionate about exploring the world because I believe experiencing many different cultures is integral to developing a wider understanding, as well as a deeper connection to one’s self.”
On biking across Japan
Andy Bartholomew ’07
“From March 15th to June 10th, I cycled from Kyushu to Nagano. Nearly every day I flash back to some moment of my trip to Japan. I’ll hop on my bike, or see a train, and I’ll remember my first day...
On studying the legacy of war in Nicaragua
Rachel Berkrot ’15
“I set out to learn from the village’s people by gathering oral histories of those who were living during the war and learning how it changed their lives and their country.”