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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On finding his place at Oberlin
“For me, the goal in truth was not to become the best saxophone player there ever was. It was to experience the incredible wealth of opportunities that Oberlin had to offer.”
Jonah Berman ’03
On studying in London with David Walker
“Threading it all together were the conversations gently led by David about and around these plays, supplemented by talk of poems, novels, museum visits, and films, and from these emerged the...
Sze Foong ’99
On becoming a scholar activist
“With the help of my wonderful mentor, Daphne John, associate professor of sociology, I am able to use the academic tools that I have gained at Oberlin to fight the battles of injustice.”
Cindy Camacho ’11
On the Oberlin Orchestra China Tour
“... 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...
Nicolee Kuester ’10
On living a multifaceted life
“I am a double major in law & society and sociology; I play varsity men’s soccer; I am heavily committed to acting; I produce music and DJ on a regular basis. Only in a place like Oberlin.”
David Lowe ’11
On requiring students to write memos
“For many students, writing short is harder than writing long - but I believe it to be a valuable skill to add to the arsenal of writing styles that we promote here at Oberlin.”
Prof. Ben Schiff
On being a part of the Oberlin College men’s soccer team
“We call it OC Love. We don’t play for ourselves, we play for each other. I am honored to stand side by side with every one of those guys.”
Alen Cisija ’12
On falling in love with political theory
“I dorked out shamelessly to my uninterested friends about the authors and topics that grabbed me, but I also found others who were as curious as I.”
Karin Drucker ’11
On visiting Greece
“The beauty of the environment and the ancient sites we visited convinced me to keep studying Classics; I wanted to know more about who built the sanctuaries at Epidaurus and the temples at Delphi,...
Eush Tayco ’09
On working at Pixar and Dreamworks Animation
“None of these events would have happened to me if it hadn’t been for Oberlin’s amazingly nurturing environment, fantastic camaraderie, and the best mentor a student could have.”
Reid Gershbein ’93
On being there for others
“When I got tired, I’d always have Ren to go to. I’d sit in a little nook in her supply room-turned-office for five minutes, ten minutes, an hour, and just talk about life, or about the various...
Andrea Goltz ’17
On support networks
“The people here have copious and astoundingly diverse passions of their own but will also go to incredible lengths to help you pursue yours, in all likelihood because someone did the same for them.”
Leo Harrington ’16