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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![Nina works on a omputer. There's a rubber ducky on top of the monitor. A sticker reads 'Trees are bad for pollution.'](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/nina_paroff_12.jpg?itok=6_dpwDZP)
On becoming an editor in chief
“I’m focusing on what The Grape could be in the future. I love The Grape for what it’s worth. I love the stinky office, the stinky staff, and the paper itself, typos and all.”
Nina Paroff ’12
![Five people in hooded sweatshirts form a circle and join their hands at the center](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/eint_kyi_16.jpg?itok=edbB2h8D)
On a second home
“In addition to the rewarding experiences I’ve gotten from my service sites, over the past two years, the little house known as the Bonner Center became my go-to place.”
Eint Kyi ’16
![Students wait outside the museum, some in tents and sleeping bags.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/erik_inglis_89.jpg?itok=ApcZ9MKu)
On the art rental program
“All those students lined up for art rental aren’t just waiting patiently in a line; they’re also actively teaching each other and learning from each other, sharing their enthusiasms and gaining new...
Prof. Erik Inglis ’89
![Yolanda at graduation.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/yolanda_walker_09.jpg?itok=S-a96tjJ)
On succeeding through adversity
“Oberlin takes those with ambition and provides them with a world of opportunities. I entered Oberlin as a housekeeper and graduated four years later with a degree in economics.”
Yolanda Walker ’09
![Students around a table examining newspapers](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/alicia_smith_10.jpg?itok=DaXKbah3)
On the Oberlin Journalism Workshop
“Meeting and working with some of the best in American journalism, many of them Oberlin alumni, was truly inspiring.”
Alicia Smith ’10
![2 colelge students with 3 young children](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/katie_hart_11.jpg?itok=ceIUb90H)
On her Winter Term in a Belgian refugee center
“As cultural and linguistic barriers melted away, each one of us was able to make valuable friendships with the staff and residents of this center that had opened its arms to us and welcomed any new...
Katie Hart ’11
![A group in the woods poses under a sign reading Narnia Trail](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/gabriel_moore_15.jpg?itok=J2DIrVg2)
On joining the Oberlin Christian Fellowship
“People within this community — or family rather — had strong desires for social justice and impact, and wanted to bring all of their friends on campus into this family, including me.”
Gabriel Moore ’15
![Robert and his spouse Steven pose with a fluffy poodle.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/robert_frascino_74.jpg?itok=w94Orov2)
On things gained from his time here
“Oberlin taught me many things ... It allowed me to evolve, survive and thrive in ways I never could have imagined on that sunny afternoon thirty-five years ago flinging a Frisbee with Cousin Itt and...
Robert Frascino ’74
![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
![House with many windows](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/lisa_amor_petrov_85.jpg?itok=vqqnfYT8)
On living in the Women’s Collective
“I was blessed by the intimacy that can come from searching, together with other women, for an understanding of what it means to be a feminist.”
Lisa Amor Petrov ’85
![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
![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