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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![Kelpler with Prof. Whelan outside The Local coffee shop](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/kepler_mears_17.jpg?itok=VZ0JPRYd)
On mouthing off in public
“If I hadn’t said it and it hadn’t been heard, I’m not sure I would have met Professor Whelan in the way I did or formed a friendship with her.”
Kepler Mears ’17
![Students pose as statues by a stone wall](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/eush_tayco_09.jpg?itok=dJIiV0Hw)
On visiting Greece
“The beauty of the environment and the ancient sites we visited convinced me to keep studying Classics; I wanted to know more about who built the sanctuaries at Epidaurus and the temples at Delphi,...
Eush Tayco ’09
![Two students in front of a scientific poster under the heading Poster Prize Winners](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/andrea_goltz_17.jpg?itok=upuwzuUz)
On being there for others
“When I got tired, I’d always have Ren to go to. I’d sit in a little nook in her supply room-turned-office for five minutes, ten minutes, an hour, and just talk about life, or about the various...
Andrea Goltz ’17
![Robert and Melanie.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/robert_palacios_13.jpg?itok=dUJi8h1y)
On finding an alumni mentor
“What will always remain the most important aspect of the relationship are the stories we have shared, the lessons I have learned, and the friendship we have formed across the generations.”
Robert Palacios ’13
![Young man in sunglasses](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/louis_grube_09.jpg?itok=xf8cpEU8)
On the culture of Oberlin
“We carry ourselves with an air of courtesy and responsibility to others that shows itself daily in both our smallest actions and in our viewpoints about the way the world should be.”
Louis Grube ’09
![A group of laughing, smiling friends](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/hannah_gordon_11.jpg?itok=nY95HTzz)
On her service trip to Open Ground
“Throughout the week, so many tight-knit connections were formed among people from various niches of Oberlin—people who otherwise would have probably never even met each other.”
Hannah Gordon ’11
![Group of 5 women in a classroom](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/assiatou_diallo_08.jpg?itok=MOHV2802)
On the interdisciplinary nature of her Oberlin experience
“I love learning, and my own life sits at so many intersections. At Oberlin, I felt at home with my peers who were passionate about using their academic studies for social change.”
Assiatou B. Diallo ’08
![Sarah and friends.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sarah_cheshire_14.jpg?itok=j0S8EWmq)
On learning from peers
“My education at Oberlin has occurred not only in the classroom, but through living and constantly engaging with so many different people from so many different life contexts.”
Sarah Cheshire ’14
![Sarah plays with a Ghanaian child.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sarah_frank_09.jpg?itok=GKdlYJ9B)
On her semester in Ghana
“Sankofa means “return to your roots.” Sankofa is an important concept, because in order to grow, you cannot always move forward. You must go backwards, and go home, in order to make the distance...
Sarah Frank ’09
![Soccer players on the sidelines. One wears a short with number 86 and the name Der Soul Stealer.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/max_hovey_13.jpg?itok=H3yOba4t)
On the universal language on soccer
“Intramural soccer has given me a new knowledge base... I’d be lying if I said that my current appreciation for soccer hadn’t solidified my choice of pursuing Hispanic studies at Oberlin.”
Max Hovey ’13
![Group of people posing on steps](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jane_clark_16.jpg?itok=RwTjNlf2)
On opportunities and the people who help you grab them
“The people I have met at Oberlin have recognized potential in me that I did not know existed and held me together when I felt that I might crack.”
Jane Clark ’16
![1970s era running team](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/carla_white_freyvogel_79.jpg?itok=GByr7sVa)
On being one of the first female runners
“Running became a political statement for me... while other women made statements in class, delivering heart-pounding lectures, papers, and demonstrations, I put on my shoes and ran with the men.”
Carla White Freyvogel ’79