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 man and woman hold two young children](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/chase_palmer_08.jpg?itok=UHK62FFA)
On opportunity
“I spent many years grappling with what type of profession I wanted to pursue in my life. I considered medicine, legal work, and many other paths. But one thing always remained the same: my passion...
Chase Palmer ’08
![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
![Jules tries to balance on a log over a stream](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jules_brouillet_10.jpg?itok=joRrUquE)
On the things to do at Oberlin
“There are enough great organizations, activities, events and concerts here that it is impossible for one student to do everything or even half of everything. The hardest decision that many students...
Jules Brouillet ’10
![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
![A violinist rehearses](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/crystal_sheffield_12.jpg?itok=jcO98kmH)
On visiting Oberlin
“As I planned my schedule of classes to visit, I found myself tempted by the different departments listed and the variety of classes offered. I barely had time to fit in a conservatory class because...
Crystal Sheffield ’12
![A protester holds a sign](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/aaron_appel_16.jpg?itok=IRgPKtwc)
On experiential learning
“What I chose to do while at The Philadelphia Center would have been inconceivable had I not spent the last two and a half years living in this small-town Ohio community.”
Aaron Appel ’16
![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
![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
![A group poses at a city bridge.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/yvette_chen_16.jpg?itok=wIyRtlLa)
On preparation
“Three years into college, I can say with confidence that my experiences inside and outside of the classroom have equipped me with the skills to fight for what I believe in.”
Yvette Chen ’16
![Two people in groovy 1970s attire pose by a boulder painted with the words, Look Ma, We Made It](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/elizabeth_taylor_quilliam_74.jpg?itok=draOo5YV)
On the influence of an Oberlin education
“Oberlin was not simply a 4-year stopping point, but has been and continues to be an essential part of my journey. It taught me to be ever vigilant in seeking social justice, curious, caring, open to...
Elizabeth Taylor Quilliam ’74
![The Obertones rehearsing](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/kevin_hu_11.jpg?itok=AXFVfJP3)
On singing with the Obertones
“But as I would realize, this love was a postulate of the Obertones; something so obvious it needed no proof through audible declaration. Everyone in the Obertones loves to sing.”
Kevin Hu ’11
![Group of students in a museum](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/althea_lamel_13.jpg?itok=tK-9Acdk)
On growing
“I realized I had come a long way from the student who sat in that class three years earlier doubting herself. I had become the articulate college student who had intimidated me so much in my first...
Althea Lamel ’13