From Here I Can… Learn in Community
“I felt like I’d be able to make better friends and create better quality relationships in a place like Richmond. It was a bit of a shot in the dark, though — and it was a big change to go from a big university like St. John’s to a community school like IU East.”
Tega Ogaga
Oghenetega Ogaga grew up less than 20 miles from downtown Manhattan in New Rochelle, New York. His father, who immigrated to the United States from Nigeria, had met his mother after moving to the U.S. They soon started a family in the New York City suburbs.
One of three children, Oghenetega — known as Tega by his friends — was interested in everything growing up. Illustrating, video games, drums, collecting — he even played cello in orchestra for several years. “It was hard to carry around,” he laughs today.
So when it came time to pick a college path, Tega wasn’t sure which interest to pursue — and decided to follow his father’s footsteps and study pharmacy.
Feeling Lost in New York
Left: Tega poses with his two sisters and father. Right: Tega plays the drums, one of many interests.
After high school, Tega enrolled at St. John’s University in Queens, New York. He declared his pharmacy major and imagined joining the family business after school. But St. John’s, with its student population of around 20,000 students, was a big university in an even bigger city — and pharmacy wasn’t holding Tega’s interest like he’d hoped. Tega was starting to feel adrift, and he wasn’t sure this was the right path for him.
Through online gaming, Tega had found a fast friend in Kristin Olinger, who lived in Richmond, Indiana. Soon, the two were chatting outside of games, and then offline. Through Kristin, Tega began imagining a life in a smaller city — and what it would be like to study at a smaller college.
“I felt like I’d be more comfortable with a smaller school, a smaller community. I felt like I’d be able to make better friends and create better quality relationships in a place like Richmond,” says Tega. “It was a bit of a shot in the dark, though — and it was a big change to go from a big university like St. John’s to a community school like IU East.”
Left and Middle: Tega and Kristin’s shared interest in gaming quickly grew their friendship. Right: Kristin and Tega visit Tega’s family in New York.
Tega visited Kristin, and in 2023, he decided to make the move from New York to Richmond. Enrolling at Indiana University East, he also changed his major to English with a minor in marketing — subjects that have turned out to be a much better fit for his interests.
Finding Organic Community
For Tega, this new, smaller community provided ample opportunities to both find his niche and create deep friendships.
“I feel like my connections to the community have organically grown from my interests,” he says. “Kristin and I go to arcades together, and we end up seeing a lot of the same people. Or I go to the barbershop and see the same people. Over time, I’ve gotten to know a lot of people who share my interests.”
At IU East, Tega also joined the Esports team for 2024-25. “I didn’t even know there was an Esports team at first,” says Tega. “When the school year started, I saw a sign outside an office that was a huge cutout of a game character I knew — and when I went in, there were all these consoles and PCs. It was fantastic. It was like, wow, this is the place for me.”
“St. John’s didn’t have anything like that, and I was just blown away to have this opportunity at a school this size,” he says.
Between his connections made through Esports, arcades, and a myriad of other places in and around Wayne County, Tega feels confident that making the move to IU East and Richmond was the right choice.
“In New York, it felt like it was hard to connect with people. Everyone was doing their own thing. But here, everyone is so kind, and it’s much easier to make friends. I feel connected and welcomed.”
And although being away from family is a challenge, Tega sees his immediate future here in Richmond.
Left: Tega’s Esports coach, Andrew Britt, encourages Tega as he games. Right: Tega wins 1st place at a frequented arcade in Richmond, Retro Rush.
“I don’t see myself going back to New York. I might travel there some for family or work, but I plan to stay here in Richmond, and use my IU degree to start my career.”
