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.
Add your story
![Three runners round the bend on an indoor track](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/john_shaw_07.jpg?itok=lp7PYsRd)
On training
“With the curtain obscuring most of the fieldhouse from view, the track became a tunnel that my distance mates and I would fly around countless times at every imaginable speed and level of (dis)...
John Shaw ’07
![Christopher with 2 men, all wearing suits](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/christopher_sanders_08.jpg?itok=4KP5kV-b)
On the lifelong connection to Oberlin’s values
“Oberlin instills in each student a dedication to improving the lives of others... I continue to incorporate my four years of experiences into my everyday life while working in the U.S. House of...
Christopher Sanders ’08
![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
![Nina works on a omputer. There's a rubber ducky on top of the monitor. A sticker reads 'Trees are bad for pollution.'](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/nina_paroff_12.jpg?itok=6_dpwDZP)
On becoming an editor in chief
“I’m focusing on what The Grape could be in the future. I love The Grape for what it’s worth. I love the stinky office, the stinky staff, and the paper itself, typos and all.”
Nina Paroff ’12
![Six friends with arms around each other](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/david_fegley_13.jpg?itok=1Bd7dr5o)
On friendship
“Rather than watch Melanie’s cold slowly progress, we, her loyal third-floor Barrows friends, decided to take action. We needed a holiday, a new holiday, to celebrate all things Melanie.”
David Fegley ’13
![2 people at a campsite picnic table](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/adina_langer_06.jpg?itok=Btt2kQfz)
On a fateful spring break
“In the spring of 2004, I embarked on my first ever camping trip with two of my best friends from Oberlin ... I didn’t know yet, but on that trip, I’d caught a permanent case of the research bug. I...
Adina Langer ’06
![Students wait outside the museum, some in tents and sleeping bags.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/erik_inglis_89.jpg?itok=ApcZ9MKu)
On the art rental program
“All those students lined up for art rental aren’t just waiting patiently in a line; they’re also actively teaching each other and learning from each other, sharing their enthusiasms and gaining new...
Prof. Erik Inglis ’89
![2 colelge students with 3 young children](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/katie_hart_11.jpg?itok=ceIUb90H)
On her Winter Term in a Belgian refugee center
“As cultural and linguistic barriers melted away, each one of us was able to make valuable friendships with the staff and residents of this center that had opened its arms to us and welcomed any new...
Katie Hart ’11
![Yolanda at graduation.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/yolanda_walker_09.jpg?itok=S-a96tjJ)
On succeeding through adversity
“Oberlin takes those with ambition and provides them with a world of opportunities. I entered Oberlin as a housekeeper and graduated four years later with a degree in economics.”
Yolanda Walker ’09
![Field hockey players gather during a break in the action](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/emily_whitaker_12.jpg?itok=LToR9-SS)
On the last field hockey game of the season
“All at once, the reality of my situation hit me hard. In one hundred and eighty seconds my first varsity field hockey season would be over, and I found myself unprepared...I had never felt more part...
Emily Whitaker ’12
![Couples dancing](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/amy_hess_12.jpg?itok=IX2DGeKT)
On learning tango
“Nothing is as awkward as the first class of Argentine tango. Take two very nervous strangers, both aware of their mutual ignorance of dancing, make them stand chest-to-chest and hold each other, and...
Amy Hess ’12
![Rob plays acoustic guitar at the Oberlin Farmers' Market.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/rob_jamner_17.jpg?itok=JoQ9Rk0R)
On founding Oberlin Songwriters
“In just a few weeks I met a number of students and community members who shared my passion for songwriting.”
Rob Jamner ’17