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 teammates becoming family
“In our most important game of the year, I stepped on the field for only the second time that year, a moment that made me realize how important the team had become for me. ”
Galen Brennan ’17
On the emergence of political awareness
“Before coming to Oberlin, I had never seen a demonstration or sit-in or even considered challenging government or college administration policy.”
Ruth Adler Rosensweig ’68
On moving to India after graduation
“There is nothing like being immersed in another culture -- no longer being the majority -- to force one to recognize what profoundly cultural beings we really are.”
Anne Richmond ’83
On exploring the radically shifting publishing world
“This is the chief thrill of interning at a literary agency. You never know if the next manuscript in the stack is going to be a dud or the potential classic of our time.”
Mack Gelber ’10
On being on the mock trial team
“Our successful team is the perfect example of how you can create your very own passionate enterprise at Oberlin and find others who want to help.”
Isadora Jaffee ’13
On finding balance
“What I didn’t realize at the time was that it is possible to have multiple priorities, and I could put my full effort into each of them.”
Sarel Loewus ’16
On alumni support
“I’ve had the good luck to have several incredible alums on my side, helping me through those new experiences I’ve chosen and nudging me towards the new ones which they instinctively know I will need...
Brandi Ferrebee ’10
On her time at Oberlin
“Graduating was like ripping off my right arm. But it was Oberlin that bolstered me and created a foundation from which I could truly plunge into the world of the possible.”
Megan Schulte ’94
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
On the ethos of Oberlin
“What made Oberlin outstanding then is still its magic - the students who want to learn, the faculty who want to teach, and the intense tradition of intellectual curiosity.”
Stewart Kohl ’77
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
On working with composer Helmut Lachenmann
“Working with him was an opportunity of a lifetime, and I don’t think it could have happened anywhere else, at least not for a non-pianist like me.”
Nathan Heidelberger ’10