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
![Meghan wears a honemade, cardboard TV costume at the soccer field.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/meghan_schott_06.jpg?itok=Rf0nAPWc)
On the freedom to be herself
“At Oberlin, for the first time I was able to venture well outside-the-box without criticism. For Halloween, the soccer staff allowed the players to dress up for practice ... [and I] decided to be a...
Meghan Schott ’06
![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
![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
![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
![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 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
![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
![People at a party with streamers and balloons.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/vicky_costikyan_14.jpg?itok=DJjt5dTP)
On the community of Sci-Fi Hall
“I felt at home with the people around me, and I developed a confidence in myself that I had never experienced before.”
Vicky Costikyan ’14
![Group of 16 people, most in matching tee shirts](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/dan_barella_15.jpg?itok=L9Jlcdpo)
On the connections between Capoeira and social rights activism
“The conversation starts with you. You can’t sit around waiting for someone else to start it for you.”
Dan Barella ’15
![Paulena holds a clipboard next to an educational poster.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/paulena_papagiannis_12.jpg?itok=urr46jVY)
On volunteering at Oberlin
“Through a bevy of volunteer opportunities, the Murray Ridge - Oberlin College Alliance has re-established a vital outlet for Oberlin students to connect with some very special members of our...
Paulena Papagiannis ’12
![Group of students seated on a staircase](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/abbas_mohsin_13.jpg?itok=51Kf3mws)
On being a part of the Student Finance Committee
“Oberlin retains a special place in my heart because of the people, and being part of the student organization at the core of student life on campus helped me cultivate those friendships.”
Abbas Mohsin ’13