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 teaching at Oberlin
“I have initiated new synthetically-oriented research projects in my laboratory here, but I have also continued my work on organ pipe corrosion with students who have been attracted by research that...
Catherine Oertel ’99
On implementing Oberlin ideals
“As a reporter, I have the power to actually change the world. I can uncover corruption and expose it. I can discover things and show them to people, change the world by spreading knowledge.”
Steve Bagley ’06
On living the double-degree life
“There was no holding me back, and I plunged into both areas of study. My weekday schedule was intense ... the discipline to practice and study, the drive to learn came from inside.”
Nancy Chapple ’83
On having a show on WOBC
“In my years of DJing, the station always felt like a tight ship, full of equally obsessive folks seeking out just the right record and wanting to share that ecstatic moment with the greater...
Joshua Davidson ’12
On volunteering in post-Katrina New Orleans
“The values of service, hard work, and solidarity in the pursuit of justice that were instilled by Oberlin pushed us forward.”
Colin Jones ’08
On academics at Oberlin
“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...
Toussaint Mears-Clarke ’09
On being a researcher
“I am excited about asking questions, picking apart ideas, and proposing new ways of thinking about problems. I obsess over the details of study designs and execution, all the while striving to be...
Olivia Winter ’08
On a change in perspective
“The distinction between my vantage point and that of the students had yielded entirely different interpretations of the work without us even realizing it.”
Dessane Cassell ’14
On her new rug-importing venture, Kantara Crafts
“I have just returned from Morocco with my first batch of rugs and the excitement is palpable; what started with my desire to make a difference on a local level two years ago has now turned into a...
Alia Kate ’08
On entrepreneurship
“The flexibility and desire to allow students to do what they believe is best for them has paid off in more ways than I can count and led to lifelong entrepreneur endeavors.”
R. Jon MacDonald ’03
On starting an agency to help inner city Milwaukee residents eat fresh, local food
“Oberlin gave me the balanced education and multi-disciplinary vision that makes this work possible...I learned to be confident, curious, tenacious, generous, and inclusive.”
Young Kim ’85
On starting the Free Store
“I am so grateful to have been at a place where ideas like the Free Store... are so well-received and supported. Oberlin is really a great place to have initiative on any scale.”
Kym Buzdygon ’07