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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![A disc jockey spins a record](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/joshua_davidson_12.jpg?itok=R67S20hh)
On having a show on WOBC
“In my years of DJing, the station always felt like a tight ship, full of equally obsessive folks seeking out just the right record and wanting to share that ecstatic moment with the greater...
Joshua Davidson ’12
![Thanisa plays piano on stage.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/thanisa_durongkaveroj_18.jpg?itok=wMAlLw_J)
On the connections between college and the future
“I start to see my college experience as part of my overall life experience; classes become more applicable, and I become more competent to enter the professional world.”
Thanisa Durongkaveroj ’18
![Group of volunteers in jumpsuits and protective gear](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/colin_jones_08.jpg?itok=q_cc8Hqx)
On volunteering in post-Katrina New Orleans
“The values of service, hard work, and solidarity in the pursuit of justice that were instilled by Oberlin pushed us forward.”
Colin Jones ’08
![Noah has green scales painted on his face.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/noah_morris_12.jpg?itok=vW3PSGTS)
On meeting neighbors
“I heard several shouts of “Come in!” and someone opened the door slightly. I’d braced myself for a lot of possibilities, but what I found still surprised me. As I entered, I found myself in a full-...
Noah Morris ’12
![A grade school class learns about a sculpture at a museum](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/dessane_cassell_14.jpg?itok=mbwDbSnD)
On a change in perspective
“The distinction between my vantage point and that of the students had yielded entirely different interpretations of the work without us even realizing it.”
Dessane Cassell ’14
![College student volunteers and elementary-age students all wear matching SITES tee-shirts.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/kim_faber.jpg?itok=RB2DnfER)
On Oberlin’s SITES program
“What began as one mom’s hope to have a language program for her 5-year old son is now providing the opportunity for every elementary-school child in Oberlin to experience another language.”
Prof. Kim Faber
![Two women handle a spool](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/alia_kate_08.jpg?itok=ZMoXBXm0)
On her new rug-importing venture, Kantara Crafts
“I have just returned from Morocco with my first batch of rugs and the excitement is palpable; what started with my desire to make a difference on a local level two years ago has now turned into a...
Alia Kate ’08
![A woman asks a question at a fruits & vegetables stand.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/young_kim_85.jpg?itok=izGRqB3q)
On starting an agency to help inner city Milwaukee residents eat fresh, local food
“Oberlin gave me the balanced education and multi-disciplinary vision that makes this work possible...I learned to be confident, curious, tenacious, generous, and inclusive.”
Young Kim ’85
![Kelsey aims a ballpoint pen at an off-screen target](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/kelsey_atkinson_12.jpg?itok=_ALYjZaH)
On the Slam Poetry ExCo
“I was thrilled that I found an ExCo that so closely suited my interests and motivated me to keep writing, revising, and sharing my poems.”
Kelsey Atkinson ’12
![Evan beside a video monitor showing environmental data](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/evan_tincknell_14.jpg?itok=M3GDSste)
On joining the Great Lakes Research family
“It’s incredible to be engaging with people from whom I am constantly learning, and to be taking academic courses that seem so relevant to my work and the world in general.”
Evan Tincknell ’14
![Robert and his spouse Steven pose with a fluffy poodle.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/robert_frascino_74.jpg?itok=w94Orov2)
On things gained from his time here
“Oberlin taught me many things ... It allowed me to evolve, survive and thrive in ways I never could have imagined on that sunny afternoon thirty-five years ago flinging a Frisbee with Cousin Itt and...
Robert Frascino ’74
![Anita with a group of young women in Mongolia](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/anita_fahrni_65.jpg?itok=6hwi2r8p)
On changing the world, one book at a time
“After returning, I started to collect, sort and send books. Within 10 years, over 220,000 books would find their way from my garage to libraries throughout Mongolia!”
Anita Fahrni ’65