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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![Three runners in rain-soaked cross country team uniforms](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/gabe_brown_16.jpg?itok=yHng5M7n)
On overcoming physical injuries with community support
“Being on the cross-country team has been the glue that has held my Oberlin experience together.”
Gabe Brown ’16
![Lillie performs a role on stage](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/lillie_chilen_08.jpg?itok=fJDXGgyG)
On playing Poppea
“It’s still hard to believe that as a lowly undergrad, I got the chance to play Poppea - opera’s earliest gold digger - and find the music that truly fits my voice.”
Lillie Chilen ’08
![Anna shows off the garden next to Barrows](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/anna_ernst_10.jpg?itok=3kkHJ5aa)
On her first-year dorm
“I hope that incoming Obies who decide to live in Barrows or Dascomb will experience the same feeling I felt often my first year... It was simple, but I felt like I was home. I think that’s good...
Anna Ernst ’10
![A group of friends stands with arms around one another.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/san_maday_travis_11.jpg?itok=DIRkGkQP)
On learning to stop worrying and love economics
“We found ourselves struggling to fit tough questions into broad, vast subjects focused on a more traditional perspective... so we decided to create that space ourselves.”
San Maday Travis ’11
![Students in small group discussions](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/hope_rehak_11.jpg?itok=-H4nJAZ8)
On being part of the Posse scholarship program
“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.”
Hope Rehak ’11
![Matt salutes. He is wearing the dress uniform of the Urbana Police Department.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/matt_rivers_04.jpg?itok=98CEo9kn)
On musical training and non-musical careers
“I hadn’t been in law enforcement for long before I realized that many of the same characteristics of police work are similar to playing in a jazz group.”
Matt Rivers ’04
![A dozen people pose by an indoor brick wall](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/ben_newhouse_04.jpg?itok=rS574f2-)
On the lessons learned working for the Oberlin Review
“[I’ve taken] with me the grinding productivity, invention of necessity, and constant grace under constant pressure that I acquired down in Burton basement.”
Ben Newhouse ’04
![Ballrooom dance rehearsal in a gymnasium.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sophia_bamert_13.jpg?itok=y5UNHPxC)
On becoming herself
“Oberlin gave me the push that I needed to pursue my goals, to see myself as an actor in the world rather than a mere collector of personae.”
Sophia Bamert ’13
![Young woman seated by an organ keyboard](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jenny_bower_13.jpg?itok=Iyg93kr1)
On learning to cook in a co-op
“But in a co-op, plan incorrectly and you could be swimming in pinto beans, have enough lasagna to cover a mummy, pop enough popcorn to fill a bathtub - or not prepare enough vegetables to feed a...
Jenny Bower ’13
![With a waterfall in the background, Miranda stands by an informational sign headlined Healthy Habitat.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/miranda_fisher_12.jpg?itok=dcR3uB_V)
On an interdisciplinary education
“Learning isn’t just about memorizing static content for a specific class; it’s about shattering the boundaries of a subject and seeing how you can apply its content in different contexts.”
Miranda Fisher ’12
![Charles performs with a computer and bright lights](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/charles_abbott_14.jpg?itok=rd0C7hNs)
On Oberlin’s inclusive music scene
“Collaboration plays a fundamental role in the community’s constant appetite for great art. This inclusivity is indicative of the communal Oberlin personality that makes it such an incredible place.”
Charles Abbott ’14
![Teresa Heinz Housel](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/teresa_heinz_housel_94.jpg?itok=jjFyiVTX)
On being at Oberlin
“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. ”
Teresa Heinz Housel ’94