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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![A group of friends at night, some of them sprawled on the grass](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/emily_brennan_15.jpg?itok=WWEnTEPg)
On making friends
“The benefits of the meaningful conversations I had with my new friends outside of the classroom were robust... My friends became my teachers — a true Oberlin education.”
Emily Brennan ’15
![Lauren with Prof. Belitsky and another student](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/lauren_choban_16.jpg?itok=Ov9SINhT)
On opportunity
“At Oberlin, there is something—a club, a research lab, a play—for everyone to take part in, succeed in, and, best of all, enjoy.”
Lauren Choban ’16
![A 1970s-era student receives her diploma at Commencement](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/emily_nord_mcclintock_76.jpg?itok=EOmVPl4a)
On leaving Oberlin and returning
“What I thought must be standard fare at all colleges - the excellent music, the spectacular art museum, the earnest students - proved not to be standard at all.”
Emily Nord McClintock ’76
![Lauren by a bronze sculpture of a wolf suckling two human infants](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/lauren_clark_11.jpg?itok=7J9QRuyF)
On the integration of classics in her life
“I’ve found beauty and strength in recognizing temporality, which has brought me to understand translation across language and temporal boundaries as a positive and connective process.”
Lauren Clark ’11
![A group of 7 people dressed alike in black shirts and bluejeans](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/ambre_dromgoole_15.jpg?itok=P4AQcDeU)
On discovering the community of Afrikan Heritage House
“I had found a community that I knew would have my back, a community that I have now come to love and am unable to see myself without.”
Ambre Dromgoole ’15
![Ruth Adler Rosensweig. Black & white yearbook photo.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/ruth_adler_rosensweig_68.jpg?itok=6cc-h5Tp)
On the emergence of political awareness
“Before coming to Oberlin, I had never seen a demonstration or sit-in or even considered challenging government or college administration policy.”
Ruth Adler Rosensweig ’68
![Two friends in Russian-style fur hats](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/gwen_krosnick_09.jpg?itok=xOImzYtD)
On learning Russian during Winter Term
“Sharing, with two of my best friends, those moments of joy and frustration, hilarity and utter confusion - it is something I could never have dreamed of anywhere but Oberlin, something I will...
Gwen Krosnick ’08
![Mack walks along a city street.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/mack_gelber_10.jpg?itok=cvW9wEYx)
On exploring the radically shifting publishing world
“This is the chief thrill of interning at a literary agency. You never know if the next manuscript in the stack is going to be a dud or the potential classic of our time.”
Mack Gelber ’10
![Ashley stands by a lake surrounded by mountains](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/ashley_docherty_13.jpg?itok=j-WhBdTX)
On discovering intramural sports at Oberlin
“At Oberlin, I expected to just exercise my mind; playing intramural basketball gave me a chance to get moving and be a part of a team.”
Ashley Docherty ’13
![A team of runners arm in arm.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sarel_loewus_16.jpg?itok=lqsr1oEf)
On finding balance
“What I didn’t realize at the time was that it is possible to have multiple priorities, and I could put my full effort into each of them.”
Sarel Loewus ’16
![Jacob hugs a young panda](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jacob_myers_12.jpg?itok=MNJdRPBe)
On Oberlin’s life preparations
“Oberlin’s crash course in cultural understanding gave me open eyes, open ears, and an open heart, and at the end of the year, that’s what helped me learn the most from my own experience.”
Jacob Myers ’12
![Megan works in a lush vineyard.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/megan_schulte_94.jpg?itok=BXl7FVb1)
On her time at Oberlin
“Graduating was like ripping off my right arm. But it was Oberlin that bolstered me and created a foundation from which I could truly plunge into the world of the possible.”
Megan Schulte ’94