The College Tour
At University of Portland,
Our Students are the Heart and Soul of Life on The Bluff
The College Tour is an award-winning series featured on 17 streaming platforms including Amazon Prime. It showcases the University of Portland collegiate experience through stunning campus imagery, captivating video and authentic storytelling by actual students.
Meet Our Featured Students
Fine Arts and Faculty Mentorship with Zora Richardson '26
Growing up, I was always super involved in theater and music. I love how live performances are one of the ways art can bring people together for a shared experience. But I also have a deep love for History and Literature, so I knew I wanted to attend a college where I wouldn’t have to abandon any of my interests. I toured UP on the advice of an alum I worked with in a Shakespeare company and realized that it was the perfect fit for me.
UP as a Welcoming Environment with Darius Newman '27
As a child, my mother would always remind me that school is my job, my top priority and that is why finding a college that had an environment where I could be myself and thrive was really important. Out of all the colleges I visited, University of Portland was the only place that had everything I was looking for—UP is a place where I feel at home and where I can enjoy some of my favorite things outside of classes, like hanging out with friends, watching movies, or exploring all the cool stuff happening around the city.
Avenues for Student Involvement & Faith with Ian Thompson '24
Yes, I’m a senior Computer Science major, but that’s only part of my UP story. I started out as a commuter student, and with so many activities happening day and night, I found myself spending all my time on campus. I got involved in clubs and campus ministry, and quickly made a ton of friends. I used to be worried about making friends and pursuing my faith in college. Now I’m known as the “unicycle guy” who’s involved in pretty much everything!
Campus Community & Pursuing Your Passions with Laya Duguid '26
I had no idea where to start when deciding on a college. I grew up in a small town in Texas, and I only knew that I definitely wanted to go out-of-state for school. I visited Oregon my junior year and fell in love with the trees. When I found out Forest Park, one of the largest urban parks in the nation—has 80 miles of hiking trails just across the river from campus, I knew I had to go to UP.
Campus Life through Student Activities with Allana Gladman '27
I’m in my first year on The Bluff, and it has been so easy to connect to the UP community. The first week of school, I attended the activities fair and discovered more than 100 clubs to participate in. I joined SLUG – the Student Led Unity Garden – where we grow produce for the community. And I became an event coordinator for the Black Student Union. This is my favorite club because it’s where I feel most understood and can be with people who have similar experiences.
Innovation & Entrepreneurship with Denver Backus '23
UP really encourages you to explore your interests and test your ideas with full support from faculty and staff. Even though I’m studying computer science, I wanted to do something about food insecurity, so I built a hydroponic garden to grow food indoors. My next challenge was to scale it up for large populations. I proposed building a hydroponic farm with an automatic harvesting system as a capstone project and UP agreed—they even let me build it right in the basement of Shiley Hall!
Life as a Student Athlete with Oliver Jeppe '26
It’s always been my dream to play soccer at the highest level possible, and when I got the opportunity to play for University of Portland, one of the best soccer programs in the country, I felt I was one step closer to achieving that goal. At first, it was a little tough being so far away from home, but the people here are so nice. It didn’t take long for UP to feel like another home.
FGEN, Leadership, & Classroom Support with Kieurstyn Camacho '24
I was the first in my family to go to college, and when I came to UP from Guam, it was the first time I had come to the mainland too. I knew I wanted a place that was far away yet felt close to home, supportive inside and outside of academics, and was going to develop me as a leader and a person. University of Portland ticked all of those boxes.
Nursing & Outdoor Adventures with Julia Thomas '26
I’ve always wanted a career in the medical field. Back home in Alaska I volunteer as an EMT and in the neonatal intensive care unit at the hospital. These experiences showed me that I love patient care, but I love playing music and spending time outdoors too. So, I choose the school where I could get the best nursing education and still do everything I love—UP!
Education, Service & Immersion with Israel Osorio '25
Education has always been very important to my family, and when my mother went back to school to study teaching, it sparked my own love for teaching and learning. I wanted to go to a college that valued education as much as I did and saw it as a way to make positive change in the world, not just a means to a degree. That’s what led me to the University of Portland.
