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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![Christopher at a table with letter stencils, papers, and markers](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/christopher_gollmar_10.jpg?itok=gBpcUtJ9)
On teaching experimental typography
“It’s esoteric, I guess, this interest of mine, but Oberlin is the kind of place where esoteric interests tend to flourish.”
Christopher Gollmar ’10
![Four panelists facing the audience](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/katherine_sicienski_12.jpg?itok=yNNIiXKk)
On joining Model United Nations at Oberlin
“By allowing one to take classes in English, environmental studies, history, and theater, all in one semester, Oberlin encourages students to develop new ways of thinking about the same problem.”
Katherine Sicienski ’12
![Reid and a friend at Memorial Arch.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/reid_palmer_14.jpg?itok=mrQ7UYL4)
On a full-fledged learning experience
“No matter our individual passions, Oberlin provides us the opportunity to do what we love while connecting us with peers and professors that broaden our perspectives and help us make connections.”
Reid Palmer ’14
![Daniel holds a hot dish in a food service kitchen](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/daniel_dudley_12.jpg?itok=CsZ6n0-W)
On cooking over winter term
“The Foodship was my refuge... of camaraderie and gastronomy with a splash of eccentricity on the top.”
Daniel Dudley ’12
![Group of students in a dining hall](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/liam_oznowich_17.jpg?itok=L7rz6q8s)
On finding his voice in a creative writing class
“Never before have I felt that excited about a story I was telling, which became all the more empowering when I realized this story was also my life.”
Liam Oznowich ’17
![Adam makes a funny face while holding a wide paintbrush](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/adam_kander_07.jpg?itok=aX_J9HQG)
On the energy of the arts at Oberlin
“This is Oberlin at its best. The constant performance, observation, and absorption of art in all its various forms. Oberlin is a place where art and creativity thrive, as long as there are students...
Adam Kander ’07
![Sammy and friends play a boardgame.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sammy_moores_17.jpg?itok=GAkNsTar)
On finding a home on SciFi Hall
“Like many incoming first-years, the thought of having a roommate and finding a solid group of friends was extremely daunting.”
Sammy Moores ’17
![A 1970s-era student receives her diploma at Commencement](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/emily_nord_mcclintock_76.jpg?itok=EOmVPl4a)
On leaving Oberlin and returning
“What I thought must be standard fare at all colleges - the excellent music, the spectacular art museum, the earnest students - proved not to be standard at all.”
Emily Nord McClintock ’76
![Matt works at a food slicing machine.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/matt_oconnell_09.jpg?itok=xT5T6ElT)
On a special meal at his co-op
“For me, this meal was exactly what Oberlin’s co-ops are all about: making food with your friends, and knowing exactly where your meal came from.”
Matt O'Connell ’09
![A group of 7 people dressed alike in black shirts and bluejeans](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/ambre_dromgoole_15.jpg?itok=P4AQcDeU)
On discovering the community of Afrikan Heritage House
“I had found a community that I knew would have my back, a community that I have now come to love and am unable to see myself without.”
Ambre Dromgoole ’15
![Informal team photo.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/simone_christen_15.jpg?itok=2ofeI1gt)
On being a part of the Oberlin swimming and diving team
“[It] means becoming absorbed into a large family of people who are committed to exploring their lives athletically and academically in various ways.”
Simone Christen ’15
![Two friends in Russian-style fur hats](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/gwen_krosnick_09.jpg?itok=xOImzYtD)
On learning Russian during Winter Term
“Sharing, with two of my best friends, those moments of joy and frustration, hilarity and utter confusion - it is something I could never have dreamed of anywhere but Oberlin, something I will...
Gwen Krosnick ’08