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 learning to be a writing tutor
Sean Nagamatsu ’07
“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...
On organizing Dr. Seuss Day at the local public library
Sophie Schacht ’10
“I am one of six people on the varsity softball team who tutors in the Oberlin public schools -- my first order of business was to recruit the entire team.”
On learning to teach literacy
Susan Cowan Knebel ’60
“I had answered a call for volunteer tutors in a night school created by a gentleman who was born a slave. Literate, he wanted to help folks from the South who had come north for jobs in Ohio and...
On being at Oberlin
Teresa Heinz Housel ’94
“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. ”
On embracing writing
Anna Zeemont ’13
“Oberlin revolutionized the way I think about writing - which in turn shaped me not just as a learner but also as an individual.”
On opportunity
Chase Palmer ’08
“I spent many years grappling with what type of profession I wanted to pursue in my life. I considered medicine, legal work, and many other paths. But one thing always remained the same: my passion...
On being part of the Posse scholarship program
Hope Rehak ’11
“The other students who received a Posse scholarship to go to Oberlin that year were incredible leaders in their communities; I was proud to be included alongside them.”
Contributed by Prof. Laurie McMillin
Jabali Sawicki ’00
“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...
On Oberlin’s terrific teachers
Jacob Lamoureux ’12
“When I graduated from high school, I thought the days of personal relationships with teachers who cared about me were over. Well, I’ve only been wrong once in the past 20 years, and that was it.”
On the level of teaching at Oberlin
Jessica Levine ’95
“Great teachers make a difference in our lives because they knew how to support us and how to push us. Educators at Oberlin do so in the most masterful way. They are both craftsman and scholars. They...
On the integration of classics in her life
Lauren Clark ’11
“I’ve found beauty and strength in recognizing temporality, which has brought me to understand translation across language and temporal boundaries as a positive and connective process.”
On teaching Spanish
Leah Goldman ’13
“Teaching in SITES taught me to be patient, creative, and willing to make mistakes. But I became more confident as a teacher every day I saw my students become more confident in their learning.”