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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.

Oral history conducted for the Living the Legacy: 50th Anniversary of African Americans in Residence commemoration. Beverly Thompson arrived at William & Mary in 1994, four years after graduating from the University of Central Florida with a Master's degree in Computer Science. In her five years at the College, Thompson forged lasting relationships with faculty and completed a dissertation as a part of her program. After graduating in 1999 with a Ph.D. in Computer Science, Thompson began working at Sandia National Laboratories. Shortly after, she moved to take a position at Leidos, formerly named Science Applications International Corporation. She currently serves as a senior scientist under Leidos while also doing humanitarian work under the United Nations. She also works with Career Girls, an online platform providing young women access to career exploration tools. In her interview, Thompson says that she owes her husband's assignment to Fort Lee for her time studying computer science at William & Mary. Despite the College's historically unwelcoming environment towards African Americans, Thompson says that her department created a "family type of space." She cites the presence of female faculty as contributing to this feeling of community. In the computer science department, Thompson researched in the agricultural field. She claims that this research aimed at "helping humanity" inspired her to continue working on humanitarian causes throughout her career. In discussing identity, Thompson describes feeling burdened by expectations and stereotypes surrounding African Americans at the College, while also feeling supported as a woman in the computer science department. Thompson emphasizes how the College's program prepared her for the research she would do after graduation both in the biomedical field and in international development.

Oral history conducted for the Living the Legacy: 50th Anniversary of African Americans in Residence commemoration. Hulon Willis, Jr. arrived at William & Mary in 1973, a little of two decades after his father, Hulon Willis, Sr. became the first African American student to attend the College. During his time at William & Mary, Willis, Jr. participated in the Student Association, the Baptist Student Union, the Judo & Karate Club, and the Black Students Organization. He was also a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon. After graduating in 1977, Willis pursued his Master of Social Work at Howard University, earning the degree in 1985. He has since worked in the Corrections field in both Washington, D.C., and Virginia. He has remained active at William & Mary through the Hulon Willis Association, the African American Alumni affinity organization, named in honor of his father. He has also served as a board member of the Richmond Alumni Chapter. In his interview, Willis Jr. emphasizes William & Mary's lasting impact on his life. He looks back on his time in Sigma Phi Epsilon fondly, describing the parties, concerts, and culture of the 70s as "some of the high points" in his college career. His sociology degree led him to work in both corrections and the juvenile justice system, instilling him with an awareness and sensitivity for minorities in difficult situations. Despite this, he acknowledges both the academic challenges of the College and the racism he faced on campus and in surrounding Williamsburg. His feelings of "isolation" stemmed from both living off-campus and the limited number of black students at the time. Although he often feels some resentment towards his time at William & Mary, his daughter's admittance to the College revitalized his involvement as an alum. He admits that the amount of students of color at William & Mary now compared to his father's time is a "great feeling." He values the efforts of the administration to increase and celebrate diversity, and he hopes the school continues to prioritize this in the future.

Oral history conducted for the Living the Legacy: 50th Anniversary of African Americans in Residence commemoration. Justin Reid arrived at William & Mary in 2005. During his time at William & Mary he participated in the African Cultural Society, was a President's Aide, served as president of the W&M Chapter of the NAACP, served as a Resident Assistant and an Admission Tour Guide, and helped to establish the Omega Psi Phi fraternity. Reid received a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies and graduated in 2009. He went on to work extensively in the nonprofit sector, working at Colonial Williamsburg, managing a grant project for the U.S. Department of Education, and working as the first associate director for Museum Operations at the Moton Museum. He currently works for the Virginia Foundation for the Humanities as director of African American programs. In his interview, Reid expresses that William & Mary had actually not been his first choice of college but that President Gene Nichol's commitment to diversity and inclusivity was "music to his ears." Thus, he points to Nichol's resignation as a defining moment of his experience at W&M. Reid recalls numerous other individuals whom positively impacted his time as a student and reflects fondly on major moments, such as founding Omega Psi Phi on campus. Reid's professional experience and involvement in the Hulon Willis Association have kept him in close proximity to W&M since his graduation. The interview closes with Reid discussing the changes he would like to see occur at the school, including increasing faculty diversity and efforts to make a W&M education more affordable.