Andrew Ojeda Oral History Interview

Scope and content:

Oral history conducted for the Living the Legacy: 50th Anniversary of African Americans in Residence commemoration. Andrew Ojeda arrived at William & Mary in 2008. During his time at William & Mary, Ojeda worked as a research assistant and fellow on the Lemon Project, a research initiative on the College's role in perpetuating slavery and racial discrimination. Additionally, he was involved with Alma Mater Productions and a sitcom called Ghostburg on William & Mary TV. After graduating with a Bachelors of Arts in American Studies in 2012, Ojeda pursued a Master's degree in the same field at the University of New York. He went on to work for Colonial Williamsburg, researching the Transatlantic slave trade. Ojeda later joined investment company Morning Star and now works in sales for an asset management company in Chicago. Currently, he serves on the William & Mary Chicago alumni board. In his interview, Ojeda says William & Mary caught his attention due to its "strong academic reputation." After his rejection from the school's football team, Ojeda was forced to find a new college identity. Consequently, William & Mary lead him to discover his "true self." Through working with the Lemon Project, taking mentors like Jody Allen and Betsy Slavach, forming close friendships with fellow students, and taking academically enriching classes, Ojeda found an academic niche in the school's community and learned more about his own racial identity. His college education attuned him to injustices in communities beyond his own and generated his passion for improving race relations. He stresses the importance of having "difficult" conversations to create change and claims his greatest regret is not engaging in those conversations with different organizations at the College. Ojeda discusses his post-grad trajectory into sales and attributes his success to his liberal arts background. Finally, Ojeda's involvement with the Chicago board shows his continued support for the College. He hopes William & Mary's future includes increased diversity and representation for marginalized communities.

Access and use

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College of William and Mary
Special Collections Research Center
Earl Gregg Swem Library
College of William and Mary
400 Landrum Drive
PO 8795
Williamsburg, VA 23187-8795
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