Photo courtesy of Odom family.

By Harrison Baxter and Jackson O’Keefe

Being a new student going into Junior year of high school can be a scary and challenging task. The Match asked new students Owen Odom (‘25) and Keigan Hayes (‘25) about their experiences.

Odom is the son of the recently-hired VCU mens basketball head coach Ryan Odom, the former Utah State head coach. Ryan Odom is most well-known for his major 74-54 upset in the NCAA tournament against the University of Virginia in 2018, becoming the first 16-seed team to beat a 1-seed in the history of March Madness. 

After Owen’s father took a new position in Richmond, the Odom family began their search for a new school with a familiar figure for many around Richmond, relocation consultant and basketball promoter Thomas Leachman, who recommended St. Christopher’s and Collegiate School. Owen had shadowed at both schools, and it was time for him to make a decision. The decision was easy for him, as the atmosphere and the connection between the student body made Collegiate feel like home for Odom. 

The hardest part of being a new student isn’t coming, but leaving. Odom says that the main difference between his old school, Green Canyon High School, in North Logan, Utah, and Collegiate is that the community here is more tightly-knit. Although he misses old friends at times, he said, “The social adjustment has been in between hard and easy, but each day meeting more and more people makes it much easier.” Not only was the culture different at Collegiate, but moving to a state across the country comes with many changes too. Odom stated, “The weather and religious background are the two main differences between Utah and Richmond. In Utah, there is a lot more snow and Mormons.” Other than this, Odom had no real difficulties coming back, as he had lived on the East Coast before.

Hayes is also a new Junior at Collegiate, transferring from Manchester High School in Chesterfield County, with the prospect of success in football and basketball enticing him to come. He knew Collegiate students such as Xavier Davis (‘25) and Ben Street (‘26) through travel sports and had always heard great things about the school. Hayes was a high-production athlete on the football field this fall, playing on both offense and defense. Hayes said having the football family at Collegiate and spending summer weeks in preseason helped give him a seamless social transition to the Upper School. Another reason for this success was the Cougar Pal system, in which an existing student helps a new student find their footing on campus, and in this case, Hayes and Isaac Rivers (‘25) became fast friends. Hayes has navigated the rigorous academic workload well, noting that he has had to put more time and effort into his studies. Hayes is looking forward to the start of basketball season, where he looks to be a significant contributor for the Cougars.

Featured image credit: Vlastik Svab.