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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On playing Carnegie Hall
“I never truly understood the relationship between a conductor and an orchestra until I played under Robert Spano ’83.”
Hannah Levinson ’09
On her first day of practice with the women’s rugby team
“These were, I realized while I stood apart from them, the strongest and craziest women I had ever met. I had to be one of them. I didn’t know if I had it in me, but I couldn’t leave without trying.”
Marne Litfin ’07
On Oberlin’s Contemporary Music Ensemble
“In this new music, I heard nothing, only an ugly idiom that my ear could not, would not grasp... Then something happened that I’ll never forget.”
Avery Waite ’10
On bonding over Boredom, a semi-improvised drama
“My other friends couldn’t believe that we had Saturday night rehearsals, but the cast would have all spent Saturday nights together regardless.”
Shawn Roggenkamp ’08
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
On identifying with her students
“I know many of the students and some of their struggles, in part because their struggles were once my own... But I also know that as these graduates walked off that stage, they felt exultant.”
Melissa Ballard
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
On opportunity
“I showed up at a meeting with a vague notion that I might want to work as an intern on Capitol Hill. What I hadn’t expected was that a professor I barely knew, Paul Dawson, would place me with an up...
Susan Troy ’76
On Kosher Co-op
“There I learned to cook--my first meal of macaroni and cheese lathered with rum extract was not a hit, but later my Thanksgiving turkeys basted with beer and oranges were!”
Josh Shuman ’86
On running and surviving senior year
“I outlined my thesis on thirteen-mile long runs. I wrote my application essays on bus rides to races. My experiences as a student-athlete influenced my proposal to study high-school athletics during...
Nicky Ouellet ’09
On academic passions
“I’m fortunate to go to Oberlin, to live in this world of thrilling academic inquiry and discovery, because the community keeps my mind constantly ticking, asking, and considering.”
Claire Jenson ’12
On unexpected birthday surprises
“In that chord, I felt the warmth of belonging—my voice lost in the blend of others around me.”
Phoebe Hammer ’14