Each week, the Record (using a script in R) randomly selects a student at the College for our One in Two Thousand feature, excluding current Record board members. This week, Onyeraluobu Chibuogwu ’26 discussed his academic journey, basketball, and his advice for first-years. This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Frances Brooks (FB): I know that you’re a physics and political economy major with a concentration in Africana studies. What made you choose that path?
Onyeraluobu Chibuogwu (OC): I’ve always been really curious about everything. I feel like [these disciplines are] very similar in my eyes. Physics is just studying the foundations of the universe, and political economy is studying the foundations of the society we live in. The Africana concentration is my own specific way of trying to understand how, within both physics and political economy, not only how I am viewed, but also the history of people who came before me. So all three tie together in my mind.
FB: What’s your favorite memory of your past three years at Williams?
OC: One of my favorite memories is a surprise [birthday] party during my sophomore year. Just like anybody at Williams, I have friends from so many different groups who I know from different things. Before the party, even though there were a bunch of obvious signs, I still didn’t realize it was coming. I was definitely surprised, and it was all my different friends there together. It was definitely a super happy moment. I don’t even know how to describe that feeling, but I’d definitely say it’s one of my favorite memories.
FB: On a similar note, what are some close communities you’ve found at Williams and how have they impacted your experience here?
OC: One place where I’ve found comfort is the basketball team. I walked on to the team my junior year, and the guys on the team were very welcoming to me even though I felt uneasy about it. The second place I would say is the Black Student Union. I’m the chairman of the Society of the Griffins now, and when I was coming up as a freshman, a lot of people looked out for me and taught me about career options I didn’t know existed, setting up a Google Calendar with all the work I needed to do. I think the Black student community was very integral to helping me get settled on campus.
FB: What’s your favorite class you’ve taken at Williams?
OC: My freshman year I took this class called “What is a Self?” with [Associate Professor of English] Bernie Rhie. It felt like a class about everything included in our lives — about who you are. As a freshman, it made you think about how you would describe yourself. It seems like a really cliche question, but when you have to write down tangible answers, it really makes you question how you want to define yourself. How do you exist in the communities you do? It just made me think a lot about the way I want to view my life.
FB: Do you have plans for after Williams?
OC: Yeah, after Williams, I’ll be working in New York in finance. I don’t have a set job right now, but hopefully trending on the line of investment banking.
FB: How did you decide that finance was for you?
OC: When I got to Williams, I didn’t know particularly what I wanted to do. I thought banking was really interesting. Investment banking is, as cliche as it sounds, funding all companies on a large scale and helping support humans’ daily needs.
FB: Reflecting on your time here, what’s your biggest piece of advice for first-years?
OC: I think a lot of freshmen get really nervous when they’re coming into a new space. I would say, go out and just try and do it. College is the place where you can go and fail and try again and it doesn’t really matter. And you never really know what’s going to happen. It’s usually never as bad as you think it’s going to be. I would also say to ask questions. If there’s a particular thing you’re interested in, of course you can search online, but I would ask people who came before you, because people I’ve asked have been more than willing to help me out.
