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 students collaborate at a table](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/anna_zeemont_13.jpg?itok=tcaQZ-CM)
On embracing writing
“Oberlin revolutionized the way I think about writing - which in turn shaped me not just as a learner but also as an individual.”
Anna Zeemont ’13
![Sandy Waters](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sandy_waters_71.jpg?itok=YLaJVQB4)
On the Oberlin student body
“My Oberlin friends came from... all over the place. All races and all faiths, they had attended both public and private high schools... they were independent, intellectually curious, intelligent,...
Sandy Waters ’71
![Sitting on the Freedom House porch, which rests on cinder blocks, Matthew holds a rifle. Black and white photo circa late 1960's.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/matthew_rinaldi_69.jpg?itok=hi9SYFP-)
On working with the Oberlin Action for Civil Rights
“Oberlin played a major role in the student civil rights movement... Not just one person, but many people, linked arm and arm together, ended the reign of white supremacy in the Deep South.”
Matthew Rinaldi ’69
![Hyacinth stands atop a stone marking the boundary between the Indian and Atlantic oceans.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/hyacinth_parker_17.jpg?itok=UpeSFrse)
On things working out
“School has had its ups and downs, but going into my senior year, I can finally understand why people say that college is such a good time in your life; when people said that to me freshman year, I...
Hyacinth Parker ’17
![Four people at the Washington monument](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/benjamin_jakubowski_11.jpg?itok=0VTig_Go)
On organizing a winter term project about coal’s life-cycle effects in central Appalachia
“thanks to the strength of the Oberlin community and the support that is so close at hand, the road between imagination and realization isn’t as far as it might seem.”
Benjamin Jakubowski ’11
![Members of the co-op pose holding bike parts.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sophie_newman_17.jpg?itok=SzH9UFaV)
On practicing problem solving
“It wasn’t until I joined the Oberlin Bike Co-op that I realized just how satisfying finding an answer can be.”
Sophie Newman ’17
![Her identity concealed by a cardboard box over her head, a woman runs in the grass, her cape flapping behind her.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/miriam_rothenberg_12.jpg?itok=QsjWaVcw)
On living in Sci-Fi Hall
“They were friendly, loud, crazy, and nerdy. Furthermore, they were welcoming, encouraging me to participate despite my complete lack of knowledge of the linguistic origins of Tolkien’s Elvish...
Miriam Rothenberg ’12
![Jessica stands near a medieval turret which is flying flags of Spain and the EU](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jessica_depaz_14.jpg?itok=S-hnypRm)
On studying abroad
“I embraced that experience because it helped me learn a lot more about myself. I found my voice, my interest in learning different languages, and my interest in teaching.”
Jessica DePaz ’14
![Five people on a marble structure](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/charlotte_landes_13.jpg?itok=ufciTnBw)
On making new friends on a service trip
“Everyone was open to each experience we encountered, greeting each inevitable trial with a smile, a shrug, and a “we’ll figure it out.””
Charlotte Landes ’13
![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
![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 young woman is seated atop a stone monument engraved with 'Beckett'](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/judy_karasik_75.jpg?itok=z539ggM6)
On the way we treat writing at Oberlin
“I was so deeply engaged and tangled up in writing as a living, morphing entity, that when I got to graduate school I couldn’t tolerate the aridness of what passed there at the time for intellectual...
Judy Karasik ’75