Finding Home at Oxford: What Kellogg gave me beyond the degree
Reflections by Ovith Thiyagalingam (MPP, 2023-2024)
When I stepped off the train at Oxford station in mid-September, dragging two suitcases across cobbled streets and trying not to smile too wide at the fact that I’d made it, I wasn’t entirely sure what I was walking into. I had read the blogs, watched the videos, memorized Google Maps. But none of it really prepared me for what it would feel like to actually live and breathe this place—to find myself part of the centuries-old rhythm of life in Oxford.
My first home here was a Kellogg-supported flat on Walton Street. It was apartment-style housing with twelve other students, all part of the Kellogg College community. It didn’t take long for that building to start feeling like a family house—not just a roof and walls, but a mini community in its own right. The walk to college was just eight minutes (ten if I stopped for pastries), and it quickly became a familiar route I could do half-asleep on foggy mornings or energized with friends after late dinners.
Punting on the River Cherwell
My first taste of Oxford life was Kellogg’s induction week—a gentle but affirming start to a whirlwind year. Within days, I was punting down the river for the first time in my life, holding on tightly to the side of the boat and trying not to fall in. It was chaotic, hilarious, and kind of beautiful. That experience sums up Kellogg quite well, actually: people from all walks of life coming together, trying new things, supporting each other, and somehow making it work.
Kellogg’s atmosphere felt different from the intimidating Oxford reputation I had imagined. There was a deep friendliness—the kind you don’t have to search for. Whether at welcome events, communal lunches, or simply running into people in the College Hub, I always felt like I was seen. The conversations I had weren’t just about academia, but about food, family, music, late-night exam stress, and the occasional existential crisis. It felt human.
Throughout the year, Kellogg gave me moments that will stay with me for life. Formal dinners weren’t just about etiquette and elegance (though those were definitely part of the fun); they were about shared connection—sitting beside someone new each time, toasting to friendship, and feeling the quiet weight of tradition in every candle-lit corner.
Visiting Bletchley Park
I also got to visit Bletchley Park through the College—the historic site of codebreakers who helped shape the course of World War II. Walking through those halls, knowing that lives were saved by the work done there, grounded me in the importance of public service, justice, and courage—values I’ve carried through both my Oxford studies and my professional life.
Kellogg wasn’t just my college—it was my anchor. As a Master of Public Policy student balancing the intensity of lectures, assignments, and global policy debates, I found in Kellogg the space to exhale. It reminded me that no matter how high the academic stakes, we all need warmth, laughter, and connection. That community spirit shaped my Oxford experience far more than any single essay or reading list ever could.
Meeting Ban Ki-moon
Kellogg also opened doors I never thought I’d walk through. One afternoon, I found myself striking up a conversation with Ban Ki-moon—the former UN Secretary-General—after a public lecture on human rights and multilateralism. Moments like that, connecting with global leaders in human rights and diplomacy, reminded me just how unique this place is. For someone deeply committed to public service, it was a grounding reminder that I belonged in those spaces too.
And perhaps most importantly, Kellogg helped me believe—in myself, and in what comes next. Coming from a background as a Canadian federal civil servant, and as someone passionate about social justice and legal accountability, I arrived at Oxford full of questions. I left with sharper tools to answer them, but more than that, I left with confidence. Confidence to fight injustice, to speak boldly in spaces that weren’t always built for voices like mine, and to know that I belong wherever I choose to go.
Oxford is full of grandeur, but Kellogg gave it heart. And for that, I’ll always be grateful.
Ovith Thiyagalingam