At a university known for both its rigorous academics and tight-knit community, Professor Olakunle Ologunro stands out as a wonderful addition to Colgate University’s campus. Over the course of this past semester, Ologunro led an Introductory Workshop in Creative Writing. His teaching style in the course both challenges students and brings them closer together, making them not only better writers but better people as well.
Before coming to Colgate as an Olive B. O’Connor Fellow in Fiction for the 2025-2026 session, Ologunro lived in Lagos, Nigeria – undoubtedly a far cry from life in the little town of Hamilton.
“It’s a big city, the most popular city in Nigeria,” Ologunro said. “I was born and raised there, and I miss it dearly. I moved to America in 2022 to do my [Master of Fine Arts (MFA)] in Creative Writing at Johns Hopkins University, in Baltimore.”
Though leaving home and coming to America was a big change in his life, the opportunity presented by the MFA program at Johns Hopkins made the journey well worth it. Ologunro reflected on his memories of his graduate workshop.
“I loved every moment of it,” Ologunro said. “My professors were very kind, helpful and immensely brilliant, and I was in a cohort of equally lovely and delightful people who are also incredibly talented artists. It’s the best gift any writer could ever ask for.”
Ologunro is a writer of literary fiction. As is the case for many writers, his passion for creative writing was inspired early in his life, stemming jointly from his love of both reading and storytelling.
“I think those two are connected,” Ologunro said. “And that connection often leads to the art and act of writing. You immerse yourself in stories so much, you begin to try to tell your own stories, too.”
Ologunro also emphasizes the fluidity of writing as a process, particularly in the sense that it can often change and adapt as we move through our own lives. He noticed that his own writing has changed in many ways since he started out, developing particularly in the level of introspection.
“I recently spoke to a friend about this, and I said that I am glad for the ability to question things and to look at the craft choices I’m making in a story and ask myself, ‘Why?’” Ologunro said.
His writing process, as he honestly expresses, often includes a lot of time spent on anything and everything except writing.
“Here’s a quote from Don DeLillo that accurately describes my process: ‘A writer takes earnest measures to secure his solitude and then finds endless ways to squander it,’” Ologunro said. “I fight so hard to secure writing time for myself only to waste all that time on other tasks, or even on social media.”
Despite the temptations of endless distractions, which Colgate students are undoubtedly familiar with, Ologunro has been working hard to break free of this cycle.
“When I’m not squandering my solitude, I try to write and read on the days when I’m free from teaching responsibilities,” Ologunro said. “I also try to keep a notepad handy, in case something comes to me while I’m doing other tasks.”
While this is Ologunro’s third year in America, coming to Hamilton brought yet another big change to his life, with the environment of upstate New York starkly differing from Baltimore, Md. However, despite the challenges presented by this move, he has found so many positives in life at Colgate and is embracing the change with optimism.
“The community here is really supportive and I am so glad to be here doing what I love – writing and teaching,” Ologunro said. “The students at Colgate are really brilliant. I can’t say that enough. I’m always excited to step into class because I know the quality of conversation and insight will be top-notch.”
Not only has Ologunro found deep fulfillment in teaching his students, but he has also gained new skills beyond the classroom through engagement with the Hamilton community.
“I’ve had to learn how to ride a bike!” Ologunro said. “Shout out to Duane Martinez and Colleen McNerney of Community Bikes in Hamilton. Duane taught me how to ride a bike and Colleen drove me to get my first bike. Everyone is committed to making lives easier for the next person and I am also hoping I’m able to do that too.”
Furthermore, beyond his life here in Hamilton, Ologunro has more exciting news: one of his short stories will be coming out in the latest issue of the “New England Review.”
“It’s called ‘Home Training’ and I am really excited about it. I wrote a draft during my MFA and spent time revising it before I sent it out,” Ologunro said. “[The] ‘New England Review’ is a reputable literary journal and they’ve published authors and pieces that I love, so I feel incredibly honored to have my work sit in their pages.”
Every student who has been lucky enough to take Ologunro’s class this semester has gotten to see many sides of him: a thoughtful writer, an easygoing and hilarious person to talk to and someone whose kindness consistently shapes the atmosphere of the room. His commitment to his craft, his students and the community around him has already left such a positive mark on Colgate, an impact that will only continue to grow in the next semester of his fellowship.
