Oxford, Home Away from Home

By Rebecca Johnson

IMC Student

Leaving your hometown and moving to a new place for college can be quite intimidating, but for many students, Oxford makes that change a lot easier.

Claire Eckert, an Ole Miss senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, chose Ole Miss because of the comfort she felt each time she visited.

“My older brother went here and I just felt so at home every time I would visit him,” Eckert said.

That feeling hasn’t changed for her.

“Everyone always wants to help others going through hardships,” she said. “It’s such a close-knit community. Being from a big city in North Carolina, I had never been a part or experienced a community that is so caring towards each other.”

The Oxford community has brought Eckert many different friendships.

“Oxford has made my college experience so enjoyable because I have met so many people from all over the country, but we all come together as such a close community,” said Eckert.

Eckert’s feelings for Oxford are similar to those of Ole Miss senior Sam Borgese.

“Coming from New York, I wanted something different for my college experience,” he said. “My friends decided to stay local but I wanted to branch out and find something different to experience. Ole Miss felt like home, but in a different way.”

At first, the change of scenery was tough for Borgese.

“It was a little hard to adjust at first because the culture was completely different than anything I’ve ever experienced at home,” he said. “However, once I got acclimated, I fell in love with the university and the town of Oxford.”

Oxford has made Borgese’s college experience better.

“The warm and welcoming people of Oxford have made my college experience everything I could have ever imagined,” he said. “From different community events to shops and restaurants on The Square, the kind people around me have helped me feel like I belong in a place that’s so different from home.”

The feeling of comfort that Eckert and Borgese find in Oxford is one that will last beyond their college years.

“Once I graduate and move away, I know coming back to Oxford will not be a hassle. I’ll always be welcomed back,” said Borgese.

Said Eckert: “It’s a place I’ll always consider being a home for me. I know I can come back and feel like I never left.”

For these out-of-state students, Oxford is a place to call home.

“The community as a whole makes this town extremely special in its own way,” Borgese said. “I’ve traveled to many cities and states but nowhere gives you the type of feeling Oxford, Mississippi, gives.”