Oberlin Stories Project
On Tending the Learning Garden
I learned what grew where and when each species bloomed...I learned that actively engaging in nature, every day, is the best teacher of these things—better than any book or classroom could ever do...
Amanda Salmons ’23
On Promoting Youth Climate Action
‘‘Prior to attending Oberlin, I was unaware of the extent and impact of climate change. In the fall as a first-year, I was introduced to research in the environmental studies department and was...
Harriet McSurdy ’23
On the Asia House dragon
“It would have been tedious work except that it was ambitious, self-directed, and had nothing to do with classes or credits. What made it something to look forward to was the enjoyment of working...
Bill Heinrich ’81
On visiting Oberlin
“As I planned my schedule of classes to visit, I found myself tempted by the different departments listed and the variety of classes offered. I barely had time to fit in a conservatory class because...
Crystal Sheffield ’12
On writing Nicaraguan women’s history
“I became a feminist and started to focus on an overarching question that would absorb much of my time over the next two decades: why assume that only white women fought back against sexism before...
Victoria González-Rivera ’90
On experiential learning
“What I chose to do while at The Philadelphia Center would have been inconceivable had I not spent the last two and a half years living in this small-town Ohio community.”
Aaron Appel ’16
On studying away
“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.”
Peter Nguyen ’16
On living on SciFi Hall
“...when I step out my door, there will be a friendly face around the corner. I’ve made some of the best friends I’ve ever had there, and have found what I’m proud to call my home at Oberlin.”
Julie Lopresto ’12
On the ethos of Obies
“My Oberlin was very much a time and place of social ferment and activism, and while the issues may be different today, I know that Oberlin students will always be deeply involved in cutting edge...
Wendell Russell, Jr. ’71
On clarity and falling down
“...In this moment I became aware of how much more comfortable with being alone I had become during my time at Oberlin.”
Eliot Hart-Nelson ’15
On being a docent in Oberlin’s world-class art museum
“I have been leading tours of the museum’s broad and overwhelmingly impressive collection for almost four years now, and the joy of engaging visitors in discussions concerning art has only...
Ally Sterman ’09
On studying abroad in France
“I was lost. But rather than moping around in disappointment, I decided to embrace the novelty of all that was around me.”
Rachel Ippolito ’13