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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![Four students at a scenic overlook](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/brendan_nuse_17.jpg?itok=IWltyn8n)
On language as a gateway
“I am still a little surprised that a job as a translator of standardized test instructions ended up teaching me about Ohio history, but, then again, my experiences with Chinese at Oberlin have...
Brendan Nuse ’17
![Stewart's Oberlin College ID card, expiration date June 1974. Stewart has very long hair.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/stewart_kohl_77.jpg?itok=MTxF-32n)
On the ethos of Oberlin
“What made Oberlin outstanding then is still its magic - the students who want to learn, the faculty who want to teach, and the intense tradition of intellectual curiosity.”
Stewart Kohl ’77
![Jill and her son hold up an Oberlin College degree](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jill_herman_77.jpg?itok=XLUrUXUq)
On her path from Oberlin
“I began thinking I wanted to be a teacher and a poet and left knowing I wanted to be a lawyer...What I probably didn’t appreciate fully while I was at Oberlin are the intangibles that make it so...
Jill Herman ’77
![Nathan Heidelberger and Helmut Lachenmann](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/nathan_heidelberger_10.jpg?itok=1eODHj9x)
On working with composer Helmut Lachenmann
“Working with him was an opportunity of a lifetime, and I don’t think it could have happened anywhere else, at least not for a non-pianist like me.”
Nathan Heidelberger ’10
![A group of friends, all smiling](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/chetan_poudel_14.jpg?itok=GdeyFc0N)
On being an international student at Oberlin
“The international student orientation days always come to mind as serving as the springboard that launched me headfirst into the charms of Oberlin’s diverse and global connections.”
Chetan Poudel ’14
![A woman shows the front cover of The Synapse magazine.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/veronica_burnham_14.jpg?itok=-q139Rza)
On the creation of Synapse
“With these two “I want to do!” and “I can do!” revelations, I was set on it - I would create a magazine for science.”
Veronica Burnham ’14
![Woman wearing headphones and microphone on a production set.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/paula_gordon_68.jpg?itok=rsegP_AE)
On her first job in television
“Was I qualified? Well … if a passion for democracy, a work ethic honed by four wonderfully challenging years at Oberlin, and a hunger to succeed counted - and we could skip the part about what he...
Paula Gordon ’68
![Group of students on the steps of a house](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/dagmawi_gebreselasse_14.jpg?itok=wfK0aiKK)
On embracing independence
“Since coming to Oberlin, I have been fully responsible for my life and making important life decisions...I have started listening to myself and following my own path.”
Dagmawi Gebreselasse ’14
![A mysterious man in sunglasses grabs a notebook held by another.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/aaron_mucciolo_02.jpg?itok=M2QMK7gR)
On ObieGame
“Five years ago two Obies created a game. Showing great wit, they named it ObieGame. Beyond this, facts are amorphous at best.”
Aaron Mucciolo ’02
![Zach holding a trumpet.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/zach_resnick_16.jpg?itok=LqL8ZUDR)
On creating Yafo Harmony
“I proposed a program that combined all my passions—social justice, music, and language learning—and with a generous CIGSIE grant, I was able to bring it to life in Yafo.”
Zach Resnick ’16
![People with plates of food in a small wooden structure.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/rachel_bouer_12.jpg?itok=nh3tttS7)
On building a community
“The lights of the Sukkah exceeded my expectations. A full belly and a fall scarf kept me warm as the lights around me glowed, showing off the work the co-op had done together the day before. Oberlin...
Rachel Bouer ’12
![A volleyball player jumps for a ball high above the net](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/elizabeth_wong_12.jpg?itok=TZzq403U)
On her first home volleyball game at Oberlin
“It had been my dream to play college volleyball since I can remember and as I stood star struck looking up at the flag, I could not help but smile and realize that I had done it. I was living the...
Elizabeth Wong ’12