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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![Lauren with Prof. Belitsky and another student](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/lauren_choban_16.jpg?itok=Ov9SINhT)
On opportunity
“At Oberlin, there is something—a club, a research lab, a play—for everyone to take part in, succeed in, and, best of all, enjoy.”
Lauren Choban ’16
![Students pose as statues by a stone wall](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/eush_tayco_09.jpg?itok=dJIiV0Hw)
On visiting Greece
“The beauty of the environment and the ancient sites we visited convinced me to keep studying Classics; I wanted to know more about who built the sanctuaries at Epidaurus and the temples at Delphi,...
Eush Tayco ’09
![Two students in front of a scientific poster under the heading Poster Prize Winners](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/andrea_goltz_17.jpg?itok=upuwzuUz)
On being there for others
“When I got tired, I’d always have Ren to go to. I’d sit in a little nook in her supply room-turned-office for five minutes, ten minutes, an hour, and just talk about life, or about the various...
Andrea Goltz ’17
![Rosie and friends, costumed as The Avengers.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/rosie_hertzman_15.jpg?itok=jnOL_b4Y)
On the power of Harry Potter
“In a society that looks down on childlike excitement over anything, OHPA taught me that it’s okay to be unapologetically enthusiastic about popular culture and that passion, no matter what form it...
Rosie Hertzman ’15
![Ma'ayan adjusts the focus on a camera.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/maayan_plaut_10.jpg?itok=vAmRBUjt)
On her passion for photography
“Being at Oberlin and loving the arts go hand in hand, and luckily I get to translate my love of people, music, theater, and dance to a medium that serves both as a reminder and an inspiration to...
Ma'ayan Plaut ’10
![A group of laughing, smiling friends](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/hannah_gordon_11.jpg?itok=nY95HTzz)
On her service trip to Open Ground
“Throughout the week, so many tight-knit connections were formed among people from various niches of Oberlin—people who otherwise would have probably never even met each other.”
Hannah Gordon ’11
![Group of 5 women in a classroom](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/assiatou_diallo_08.jpg?itok=MOHV2802)
On the interdisciplinary nature of her Oberlin experience
“I love learning, and my own life sits at so many intersections. At Oberlin, I felt at home with my peers who were passionate about using their academic studies for social change.”
Assiatou B. Diallo ’08
![Sarah with a group working in tall grass.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sarah_willette_16.jpg?itok=N5Vmz-_Q)
On an eye-opening class
“I’ve found during my time at Oberlin that, when faced with the crossroads between easy ignorance and more strenuously acquired knowledge, most Obies choose the hard but ultimately more rewarding...
Sarah Willette ’16
![Megan and a friend.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/megan_macdonald_13.jpg?itok=2P0XCA1u)
On spending a winter term in France
“There was certainly a lot I didn’t know when I got off that plane in the Paris airport. If my time in France taught me anything, though, it’s that there’s a certain beauty in not knowing.”
Megan MacDonald ’13
![Two electric guitarists play with enthusiasm](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jamie_helmsworth_13.jpg?itok=pidNLG0D)
On starting a band at Oberlin
“The music scene is merely a symptom of an infectious enthusiasm that pervades Oberlin’s student body. The zeal with which students here plunge themselves into their personal pursuits is unparalleled...
Jamie Helmsworth ’13
![A house with solar panels is reflected in water](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/carl_mcdaniel_64.jpg?itok=ye0-njRp)
On his climate-neutral home in Oberlin
“For almost three decades we imagined building a passive solar house ... After a very intense two years, we moved into Trail Magic, our home among kindred spirits dedicated to creating a more durable...
Carl McDaniel ’64
![Stewart plays an unusual, curled horn.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/stewart_edelstein_70.jpg?itok=9HrAUGsq)
On his education here
“Oberlin presented such a rich environment for multifaceted self-discovery that my college experience instilled in me the awareness that exploration in multiple and divergent directions is the path...
Stewart Edelstein ’70