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
![Jonathan leans on a small structure in a yard where his laundry is drying](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jonathan_pincus_83.jpg?itok=7Levv2oC)
On the shock of arriving in Indonesia
“I managed to get to the Menteng Hotel, where I witnessed an oversized rat execute a bellyflop into the hotel pool. That night I wondered if I had made a huge mistake. I hadn’t.”
Jonathan Pincus ’83
![Group of choral singers](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/claire_coleman_17.jpg?itok=JyhC7ET0)
On the common language of music
“In trying to redefine myself in a new place and establish my new identity as an Oberlin student, I soon realized that what had once made me stand out instead now connected me to everyone around me.”
Claire Coleman ’17
![Thomas's ID photo from the 1970s.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/thomas_kutzen_76.jpg?itok=LqaB-sfV)
On being successful in business
“It takes the same willingness to be involved that I discovered at Oberlin, the ability to examine the community and to be an individual therein with the right blend of independence, challenge,...
Thomas Kutzen ’76
![Noel playing lacrosse.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/noel_myers_14.jpg?itok=6yNEfxn1)
On the opportunity to study in Brazil
“This internship made me realize how alternative energy and clean water can improve the health of community members and that it is fundamental to their economic development.”
Noel Myers ’14
![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
![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
![A cellist practices with the score laid out on the floor.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/lewis_nielson.jpg?itok=u8ZC2rLx)
On Oberlin’s composition students
“It’s routine for me to be told by our guests that our students are the best they encounter anywhere in the world, not just for the quality of the works they display but also for the incisiveness of...
Prof. Lewis Nielson
![Kelpler with Prof. Whelan outside The Local coffee shop](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/kepler_mears_17.jpg?itok=VZ0JPRYd)
On mouthing off in public
“If I hadn’t said it and it hadn’t been heard, I’m not sure I would have met Professor Whelan in the way I did or formed a friendship with her.”
Kepler Mears ’17
![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
![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
![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
![Robert and Melanie.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/robert_palacios_13.jpg?itok=dUJi8h1y)
On finding an alumni mentor
“What will always remain the most important aspect of the relationship are the stories we have shared, the lessons I have learned, and the friendship we have formed across the generations.”
Robert Palacios ’13