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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![Students around a table examining newspapers](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/alicia_smith_10.jpg?itok=DaXKbah3)
On the Oberlin Journalism Workshop
“Meeting and working with some of the best in American journalism, many of them Oberlin alumni, was truly inspiring.”
Alicia Smith ’10
![Zach holding a trumpet.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/zach_resnick_16.jpg?itok=LqL8ZUDR)
On creating Yafo Harmony
“I proposed a program that combined all my passions—social justice, music, and language learning—and with a generous CIGSIE grant, I was able to bring it to life in Yafo.”
Zach Resnick ’16
![People with plates of food in a small wooden structure.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/rachel_bouer_12.jpg?itok=nh3tttS7)
On building a community
“The lights of the Sukkah exceeded my expectations. A full belly and a fall scarf kept me warm as the lights around me glowed, showing off the work the co-op had done together the day before. Oberlin...
Rachel Bouer ’12
![Lauren is seated at a folding table covered with papers and books](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/lauren_crawford_16.jpg?itok=-vwmk45m)
On teaching an ExCo on Dostoevsky's Crime and Punishment
“I realized I needed to create a space where I could discuss many issues present in contemporary Christian theology with only my peers.”
Lauren Crawford ’16
![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
![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
![Ryan at a dinner table with Barbara Sawhill.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/ryan_brazell_05.jpg?itok=tIwEAR5V)
On the Oberlin ethos
“It’s about refusing to put ANYONE into a box, regardless of what they may appear to be on the surface. It’s about treating others with dignity, and kindness, and respect, regardless of whether you...
Ryan Brazell ’05
![Maddy with the other Business Scholars.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/maddy_dunn_16.jpg?itok=XBxxOC4q)
On lessons learned during the Business Scholars program
“If I stayed true to myself and focused on my strengths, I could make my own version of business.”
Maddy Dunn ’16
![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
![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
![Sean is positioned at one section of a sprawling Gamelan. Many of the pieces resemble xylophones.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sean_hanson_11.jpg?itok=1nGURUZd)
On learning to play the Gamelan
“...the difficulty helps me begin to lose my identity in the group and let me center myself. It’s become a way of life for me, and changed the way I view everything around me.”
Sean Hanson ’11
![Meghan wears a honemade, cardboard TV costume at the soccer field.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/meghan_schott_06.jpg?itok=Rf0nAPWc)
On the freedom to be herself
“At Oberlin, for the first time I was able to venture well outside-the-box without criticism. For Halloween, the soccer staff allowed the players to dress up for practice ... [and I] decided to be a...
Meghan Schott ’06