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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![3 friends at a scenic overlook](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/david_lowe_11.jpg?itok=BibGjUYp)
On living a multifaceted life
“I am a double major in law & society and sociology; I play varsity men’s soccer; I am heavily committed to acting; I produce music and DJ on a regular basis. Only in a place like Oberlin.”
David Lowe ’11
![SciFi residents gather around a hoard of toy laser guns and light sabers spread out on a pool table](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/julie_lopresto_12.jpg?itok=dlt2fEMT)
On living on SciFi Hall
“...when I step out my door, there will be a friendly face around the corner. I’ve made some of the best friends I’ve ever had there, and have found what I’m proud to call my home at Oberlin.”
Julie Lopresto ’12
![Alen playing soccer](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/alen_cisija_12.jpg?itok=UCRs2MSG)
On being a part of the Oberlin College men’s soccer team
“We call it OC Love. We don’t play for ourselves, we play for each other. I am honored to stand side by side with every one of those guys.”
Alen Cisija ’12
![Taiko drummers and drums.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/yue_qiu_14.jpg?itok=BMlNcpLC)
On being a part of OCTaiko
“...being a good taiko drummer is not so much having the perfect techniques; it is more a commitment to being part of a group that shares the same energy and tries to figure out the key to ki...
Yue Qiu ’14
![Rachel at a French canal.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/rachel_ippolito_13.jpg?itok=dcF-MU4c)
On studying abroad in France
“I was lost. But rather than moping around in disappointment, I decided to embrace the novelty of all that was around me.”
Rachel Ippolito ’13
![Students pose as statues by a stone wall](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/eush_tayco_09.jpg?itok=dJIiV0Hw)
On visiting Greece
“The beauty of the environment and the ancient sites we visited convinced me to keep studying Classics; I wanted to know more about who built the sanctuaries at Epidaurus and the temples at Delphi,...
Eush Tayco ’09
![A college student reads to agroup of attentive preschoolers](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/leah_awkward-rich_17.jpg?itok=jOd70HxH)
On tutoring at Head Start
“I witnessed the kids I spent several hours a week with mature emotionally and personally, and I was given the opportunity to participate as they learned brand new concepts.”
Leah Awkward-Rich ’17
![Two students in front of a scientific poster under the heading Poster Prize Winners](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/andrea_goltz_17.jpg?itok=upuwzuUz)
On being there for others
“When I got tired, I’d always have Ren to go to. I’d sit in a little nook in her supply room-turned-office for five minutes, ten minutes, an hour, and just talk about life, or about the various...
Andrea Goltz ’17
![Sam at the dinner table with his host family.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sam_good_09.jpg?itok=4rQIurJm)
On studying abroad
“I have dozens of hilarious stories that encapsulate a year of cross-cultural misunderstandings with a group of genuinely caring people who went out of their way on an hourly basis to make sure I was...
Sam Good ’09
![A group of laughing, smiling friends](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/hannah_gordon_11.jpg?itok=nY95HTzz)
On her service trip to Open Ground
“Throughout the week, so many tight-knit connections were formed among people from various niches of Oberlin—people who otherwise would have probably never even met each other.”
Hannah Gordon ’11
![Maggie with a friend.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/maggie_killman_13.jpg?itok=xxFzsOWe)
On becoming a Latin major
“I realized how passionate everyone around me was about the exact same things ... they all shared the exact same joy I felt from studying such an obscure but wonderful language and culture.”
Maggie Killman ’13
![Group of 5 women in a classroom](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/assiatou_diallo_08.jpg?itok=MOHV2802)
On the interdisciplinary nature of her Oberlin experience
“I love learning, and my own life sits at so many intersections. At Oberlin, I felt at home with my peers who were passionate about using their academic studies for social change.”
Assiatou B. Diallo ’08