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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![Brenna in front of a rose bush](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/brenna_larson_14.jpg?itok=i0m2LGpA)
On choosing an Oberlin path
“My Oberlin career, like many, has been far from linear, and I am glad that I have strayed from my plan. A planner at heart, changing gears, changing life goals, was a rocky and emotional process,...
Brenna Larson ’14
![Sierra holds up a kitten, which paws at her glasses.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sierra_zuber_11.jpg?itok=oPgRbuYz)
On combining love and science
“When I was starting work on my honors biology research with crayfish...I realized how many questions had been right in front of me at Ginko [Gallery] all the time.”
Sierra Zuber ’11
![Mike appears to fly while diving for a Frisbee.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/mike_dirda_09.jpg?itok=nNHE8SWO)
On the men’s Ultimate Frisbee team’s year-round outdoor practices
“The cold tests our mettle, and when a seemingly endless winter finally departs, we know that we’re tougher and harder than any of our opponents.”
Mike Dirda ’09
![Jocie and a friend find a balloon by a wall of post office boxes](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jocie_sobieraj_15.jpg?itok=JJIhuogh)
On birthday celebrations
“Had my roommate known that I had secretly always wanted to do a scavenger hunt for my birthday ever since my older sister had one when I was 8? Probably not.”
Jocie Sobieraj ’15
![Three friends with silly grins](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/christopher_ayoub_15.jpg?itok=u4cUUqzN)
On making new friends
“Our relationship began with laughter and silliness, and Kelin has been my dorky big sister away from home ever since.”
Christopher Ayoub ’15
![Tanya holds up her 1990s-era Oberlin ID card.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/tanya_rosen-jones_97.jpg?itok=LC_KcpbZ)
On her Oberlin experience
“At Oberlin... I could design my own path. And I did just that, becoming more brave and adaptable with each new adventure. Being a student here makes you acutely aware of your own unlimited potential...
Tanya Rosen-Jones ’97
![Niels stands on his head, twisting his legs in a pose.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/niels_bantilan_09.jpg?itok=gUsNvbSf)
On discovering hip-hip culture at Oberlin
“As I accumulated more knowledge about the music, art, and history of hip-hop through my independent research, I started to think outside the dance.”
Niels Bantilan ’09
![Group of students](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/daniel_domaguin_06.jpg?itok=24-yk9pG)
On organizing a conference his senior year
“[it was] an event whose legacy affects others and permeates the thought processes, ideals and actions of students who continue to advocate for Ethnic Studies, equality and social justice on campus...
Daniel Domaguin ’06
![Abigail Lofchie](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/abigail_lofchie_12.jpg?itok=82Q6GZQ5)
On being a biology tutor
“I like... seeing students become comfortable with the material so that they can enjoy it instead of just seeing the class as a source of stress.”
Abigail Lofchie ’12
![Prof. Schiff meets with a student.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/prof_ben_schiff.jpg?itok=qWEJOZdb)
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
![Wendell Russell, Jr.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/wendell_russell_71.jpg?itok=1PVa4jcC)
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
![Karin Drucker](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/karin_drucker_11.jpg?itok=vY1WW_4s)
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