Student Spotlight: Fiona Kuo 26Ox
For Fiona Kuo 26Ox, community engagement is more than an extracurricular activity—it’s a way to connect learning, leadership, and service beyond the classroom.
A second-year student at Oxford College of Emory University, Kuo plans to major in sociology and minor in data science. Originally from Long Island, New York, she says her journey to Oxford was shaped by her family’s story and a desire to find a college community where she could grow both academically and personally.
“My parents immigrated from Taiwan just a couple months before I was born,” she explains. “They didn’t attend specialized schools preparing students to study abroad, so the whole process of coming to America was new to them.”
Because her parents had not navigated the U.S. college system themselves, Fiona and her brother approached the application process with many unknowns. But when she visited Oxford for Admitted Students Day, something immediately felt right.
“At the time, I didn’t know much about Oxford, but as soon as I stepped on campus during Admitted Students Day two years ago, I knew that Oxford would be for me. I loved the small-town vibes and was particularly interested in the unique programs Oxford had that would allow me to gain new experiences I wouldn’t have anywhere else, including community engagement opportunities.”
Recognizing Leadership and Service
Earlier this year, Fiona’s dedication to service was recognized when she received the Collegiate Dreamer Award during Newton County’s Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration. The honor highlights students whose leadership reflects Dr. King’s values of justice, unity, and community uplift.
“I was beyond honored to be recognized for my work thus far in college, especially in terms of leadership and service that aligned with Dr. King’s values of justice, unity, and community uplift,” she says.
For Fiona, recognition reinforced an important belief she carries with her as a student.
“While we are still students and academics come first, I believe that it is still important to give back to the community around us, especially in a place such as Oxford,” she says. “This work also demonstrates how students are more than just their grades.”
She believes college is a time to start thinking more intentionally about one’s impact.
“As we move closer to the ‘real world,’ we should start thinking more about our impact on the world because there really is so much we can do, even as students, to make positive change.”
Music as a Tool for Connection
That belief is reflected in Fiona’s leadership with Music for Change, where she currently serves as Co-President. The organization brings music into the community through outreach performances and campus programming.
Music has been part of Fiona’s life for years—she has played violin for around 14 years and viola for more than three.
“One of the things I did in high school was lead our school’s Tri-M Music Honor Society,” she says. “We aimed to harness the power of music to enhance community and support on-campus music culture.”
At Oxford, Music for Change became a natural continuation of that work.
“Music for Change routinely brings music to local community partners and shares the musical talents of our students to the rest of our student body,” she explains. “That’s important in creating a friendly environment surrounding music.”
Her experiences studying music also shaped how she thinks about storytelling through performance. While participating in the Music Advancement Program at Juilliard during high school, Fiona was introduced to works by underrepresented composers, including the piece “At the Purchaser’s Option” by Rhiannon Giddens.
“This contributed to my interest in using music to reveal hidden narratives in history,” she says.
Strengthening Community Partnerships
One of Fiona’s most meaningful projects has been strengthening Music for Change’s partnership with the Washington Street Community Center in nearby Covington. Through the organization’s charity concert, OxFest, Fiona helped shift fundraising efforts toward supporting local community partners.
“In the past, we have fundraised for larger charities outside of Oxford,” she explains. “But knowing that there is much need for support in our local community partners, I wanted to be able to give back to the community and enhance Oxford’s ties with the community through OxFest.”
The partnership grew after Fiona learned about the center through oral history interviews conducted in one of her anthropology courses. One story, in particular, stayed with her.
“I distinctly remember one interviewee mentioning how they had to fundraise their own supplies to learn and engage with music at Washington Street Community Center,” she says.
That insight led Fiona to collaborate directly with the center and invite its students to perform at OxFest alongside Oxford musicians.
“Bringing students in from this program to share their own talents in music alongside the wonderful musicians we have at Oxford is monumental. Hopefully, it encourages students at WSCC to keep up with music.”
The event ultimately raised more than $600 for the center’s afterschool program.
“Since I am particularly interested in education equity, I was excited to bring this success to WSCC,” she adds.
Learning Through Collaboration
Working closely with community partners reshaped how Fiona thinks about service.
“Through this partnership, I learned more about the importance of seeing community outreach not from a hierarchical perspective, but from a lateral perspective,” she says. “Work is done collaboratively to bring community partners what they need and want.”
Before OxFest, Fiona and other executive board members visited the center to introduce students to instruments and demonstrate what music study looks like at Oxford.
“The awe and interest in these students’ eyes was genuinely so heartwarming,” she says. “It made me so much more excited to welcome them to our own campus.”
Storytelling Beyond the Stage
Fiona’s interest in storytelling extends beyond music. She has also worked as a marketing intern with Oxford’s Communications and Marketing team, where she gained a new perspective on communication and campus engagement.
“Before working as a marketing intern, I assumed that marketing was mainly about social media and making ‘good’ posts,” she says. “However, I learned that there is more to marketing than just making cute, eye-catching graphics or funny short-form content—it is about creating a narrative people resonate with.”
Writing alumni spotlight stories was particularly meaningful for her.
“Each alumnus had a different journey, but one thing remained the same across their interviews—they all emphasized the importance of taking advantage of all the resources Emory and Oxford offer and taking risks.”
Growing Through Leadership
Looking back on her time at Oxford so far, Fiona says stepping into leadership roles early in her college career has been one of the most transformative aspects of her experience.
“Being able to start leading just a semester into college at Oxford has probably been the most transformative part of my experience,” she says.
From organizing OxFest to helping host events like the Taiwanese American Student Association Night Market, those experiences have helped her better understand her own strengths and aspirations.
“Hosting large events such as these has helped me understand my capability and limitations, which will shape the work I can contribute to the workforce later on.”
Advice for Future Oxford Students
For students hoping to get involved on campus or build meaningful partnerships, Fiona offers simple advice: take the first step.
“If you are looking to get involved on campus, I would definitely say to just go for it,” she says. “I think it is a lot easier to get involved here at Oxford because it is smaller.”
Even students who are naturally introverted, she says, can find their place.
“I am pretty introverted, but I was still able to find my place,” she says. “Even if there isn’t something for you here yet, you can always start something.”
And most importantly, she encourages students to lean on the people around them.
“The staff and faculty at Oxford are very supportive and want to see you succeed,” she says. “I would definitely recommend taking advantage of that before moving to the Atlanta campus.”