Students spend most of their screen time scrolling through posts about the upcoming campus events or the latest late-night study sessions. But lately, some students’ feeds have looked a lot more historic.
That’s because Camille Hall and Kristina Piercy, two of VSU’s Honors students, aren’t just reading about history—they’re living it. They’re spending the semester at Oxford University, and if you not checking their social media, you’re missing the best reality show VSU has ever produced.
Their posts—showing everything from elegant black-tie events to lectures in centuries-old halls—are a genuine blueprint for what happens when VSU students go global.
It’s easy to think of Virginia State University as just a home base, but this story proves it’s also a powerful launchpad. Hall and Piercy, both brilliant political science majors, aren’t just visiting; they’ve achieved full immersion in academic life at Hertford College, one of the oldest constituent colleges in Oxford.
They are taking courses that count directly toward their VSU degrees, but they are gaining a world-class, international perspective that will define their careers.
For both students, this experience is a strategic move toward their ultimate goal of law school. Hall emphasized that she wants to “take advantage of the wealth of knowledge of the professors at Oxford and learn from a different perspective than an American university.” She also credited VSU’s support, highlighting the “familial relationship” and close mentorships with VSU professors who prepared her academically for this leap. Piercy sees this as a pivotal chance to be an ambassador.
“I am really looking forward to meeting some of the other scholars,” Piercy said.
She also stated how she enjoys sharing the rich and vibrant culture of VSU as an HBCU student with people who may not be familiar with the history.
Their semester in England is proof of VSU’s commitment to providing once-in-a-lifetime opportunities. Dr. Daniel Roberts, Dean of the Honors College, who first presented the idea to them, proudly called them two of our “top Honors scholars” who are “representing the ‘Greater Happens Here’ spirit abroad.”
But for those students who are still walking the halls here in Ettrick, the message is even bigger than pride. Their journey is a powerful reminder that VSU is the essential stepping stone to greater things beyond this university.
VSU gave them the foundation, the mentorship, and the opportunity. They are the ones who seized the opportunity, prepared themselves, and pursued it.
