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.
Add your story
![Sierra holds up a kitten, which paws at her glasses.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/sierra_zuber_11.jpg?itok=oPgRbuYz)
On combining love and science
“When I was starting work on my honors biology research with crayfish...I realized how many questions had been right in front of me at Ginko [Gallery] all the time.”
Sierra Zuber ’11
![Mike appears to fly while diving for a Frisbee.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/mike_dirda_09.jpg?itok=nNHE8SWO)
On the men’s Ultimate Frisbee team’s year-round outdoor practices
“The cold tests our mettle, and when a seemingly endless winter finally departs, we know that we’re tougher and harder than any of our opponents.”
Mike Dirda ’09
![Jocie and a friend find a balloon by a wall of post office boxes](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/jocie_sobieraj_15.jpg?itok=JJIhuogh)
On birthday celebrations
“Had my roommate known that I had secretly always wanted to do a scavenger hunt for my birthday ever since my older sister had one when I was 8? Probably not.”
Jocie Sobieraj ’15
![Three friends with silly grins](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/christopher_ayoub_15.jpg?itok=u4cUUqzN)
On making new friends
“Our relationship began with laughter and silliness, and Kelin has been my dorky big sister away from home ever since.”
Christopher Ayoub ’15
![Christopher at a table with letter stencils, papers, and markers](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/christopher_gollmar_10.jpg?itok=gBpcUtJ9)
On teaching experimental typography
“It’s esoteric, I guess, this interest of mine, but Oberlin is the kind of place where esoteric interests tend to flourish.”
Christopher Gollmar ’10
![Three musicians play behind a music stand - trumpet, trombone, and alto sax](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/terence_hsieh_12.jpg?itok=G3JezZ33)
On touring with his sextet
“Friendship is the bottom-most rung on the ladder of music: the best jam sessions, the best solos, and the best memories are shared on stage with people who can lose themselves in each other.”
Terence Hsieh ’12
![Nina Cole](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/nina_cole_12.jpg?itok=VzAq8eDp)
On doing research during winter term
“I know of no other school where a professor will welcome a first-year student without a molecular biology background into their lab as willingly as Professor Allen welcomed me.”
Nina Cole ’12
![Daniel holds a hot dish in a food service kitchen](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/daniel_dudley_12.jpg?itok=CsZ6n0-W)
On cooking over winter term
“The Foodship was my refuge... of camaraderie and gastronomy with a splash of eccentricity on the top.”
Daniel Dudley ’12
![Adam makes a funny face while holding a wide paintbrush](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/adam_kander_07.jpg?itok=aX_J9HQG)
On the energy of the arts at Oberlin
“This is Oberlin at its best. The constant performance, observation, and absorption of art in all its various forms. Oberlin is a place where art and creativity thrive, as long as there are students...
Adam Kander ’07
![The distinctive windows of Bibbins Hall.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/ellis_tallman.jpg?itok=nc3jwgoG)
On unexpected connections
“When I walked past the Conservatory, I felt an odd sense of the World Trade Center. I mentioned it to a professor, who responded,“ Well of course, Ellis. Both the Con and the World Trade Center were...
Prof. Ellis Tallman
![Four panelists facing the audience](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/katherine_sicienski_12.jpg?itok=yNNIiXKk)
On joining Model United Nations at Oberlin
“By allowing one to take classes in English, environmental studies, history, and theater, all in one semester, Oberlin encourages students to develop new ways of thinking about the same problem.”
Katherine Sicienski ’12
![A group poses at a city bridge.](https://www.oberlin.edu/sites/default/files/styles/story_350/public/content/story/image/yvette_chen_16.jpg?itok=wIyRtlLa)
On preparation
“Three years into college, I can say with confidence that my experiences inside and outside of the classroom have equipped me with the skills to fight for what I believe in.”
Yvette Chen ’16