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Linus Oestlund

Eye of the Storm : Linus Oestlund '28

When Linus Oestlund left Germany for Lake Erie College, the plan was never to stay for long.

Oestlund came to Painesville looking for something different. He wanted to experience another culture while continuing to play soccer and earn an education. Having visited the United States several times as a kid, coming to America wasn't completely unfamiliar.

Still, visiting another country and moving there are two very different things.

Linus OestlundLeaving Germany meant leaving behind his family, friends, and everything he had grown up around. His family made the transition easier by traveling with him to New York City before coming to Lake Erie, but eventually Oestlund had to begin a new life thousands of miles from home. 

"I was nervous," Oestlund said. "But I think I was ready for a new chapter of my life."

That chapter took some getting used to.

Oestlund quickly noticed differences between the way he grew up and the experiences of people he met in the United States. Even the food was an adjustment. During his first semester, he rarely ate in the cafeteria because he wasn't used to American food and missed his mother's cooking.

The biggest adjustment was the first few weeks away from family and friends.

"For the first couple weeks, I was homesick a little bit," Oestlund said. "But after those couple weeks, when I found my first friends and everything, I kind of got adjusted to it. Ever since then, I never questioned it."

His roommates were among the first people he became close with. Coaches, graduate assistants, and teammates also helped him navigate life in a new country. Slowly, Lake Erie started feeling less like a place he had moved to and more like a place where he belonged.

Finding His American Family

There wasn't one exact moment when Lake Erie became home for Oestlund. Instead, it happened through the people he spent nearly every day with.

"I think once you're on the team here, it's kind of like your new family," Oestlund said. "You're going to be around them every day, almost everyLinus Oestlund hour of the day."

The men's soccer team became what Oestlund describes as his "American family." They were the people he lived with, practiced with, traveled with, and talked to most. Soccer brought him to Painesville, but the relationships he found gave him a reason to stay. But, that wasn't originally the plan. Oestlund expected to spend two years at Lake Erie before moving on. Instead, he found himself becoming increasingly attached to the program.

"I kind of got too used to being here," Oestlund said. "I figured I might as well stay around here because I like the team so much."

The diversity within the program also became an important part of his experience. Lake Erie's roster brings together players from across the United States and around the world, creating a locker room filled with different cultures and perspectives.

"You get different perspectives and more understanding for other people's thoughts," Oestlund said.

Living alongside people with different backgrounds made him more open-minded and accepting of change. It also helped transform the shy international student who first arrived in Painesville.

From Newcomer to Captain

As older players graduated, Oestlund became one of the players most familiar with the program and coaching staff. Eventually, the player who once depended on others to help him adjust became someone younger players could turn to. And in 2025, he became a captain. It wasn't something Oestlund expected when he first arrived, and even now, he doesn't view the title as something that makes him more important than his teammates. 

"It's not really about being captain," he said. "It's more about being just a part of the team and being close to everybody on the team."

The Linus Oestlundrole has taught him that leadership often has more to do with what happens away from the field. When teammates disagree or have problems, Oestlund is often one of the people they approach. His responsibility is to listen, communicate, and help find a solution.

"Most problems in a team are off the field," Oestlund said. "You have to find a solution to solve it."

His experience arriving from Germany has also influenced the way he approaches new players, particularly other international students. He remembers what it felt like to enter a new country without knowing many people.

"I know how hard it is to come from a far place to a whole new country and just have nobody," Oestlund said.

Because of that, he tries to involve new players and help them feel comfortable. In many ways, he has become the person he needed when he first arrived.

Beyond the Field

Oestlund's community at Lake Erie extends beyond soccer. Professors helped him adjust when he was still becoming comfortable with the language and American academic expectations. They also encouraged him to experience life outside of campus by recommending places to visit and restaurants to try. One professor he particularly remembers is Tina Pernus, Assistant Professor of Accounting, who taught him during his freshman year and helped ease the transition.

His college experience has also allowed him to see much more of the country than Painesville. Oestlund has traveled throughout different regions of the United States and discovered that even within one country, cultures, personalities, and lifestyles can change considerably. Those experiences have strengthened his desire to continue traveling and made him more willing to embrace unfamiliar situations. 

He sees that growth when he compares himself to the person who first arrived at Lake Erie.

"I would say I did change, especially since I got more responsibility with the captain role," Oestlund said. "I think I was more shy when I first got to Lake Erie College. But now I feel like I'm very open."

Another Goodbye

Eventually, Oestlund will have to leave the place that once felt so unfamiliar. After graduation, he hopes to remain in the United States for at least a little while and begin working. Whether he stays permanently is still a question for the future.

What isn't a question is what will be hardest to leave behind.
Linus Oestlund
"The people," Oestlund said. "Definitely the people." 

Years ago, leaving Germany was difficult because it meant leaving his family and friends. Someday, leaving Lake Erie will be difficult because it will mean leaving his "American family".
Oestlund came to Painesville for soccer, an education, and the chance to experience another culture. He planned to stay for only two years. Instead, the nervous international freshman became a captain. His teammates became family. A place thousands of miles from Germany became somewhere he didn't want to leave.

If Oestlund could go back to the version of himself preparing to leave Germany, his advice would be simple.

"Don't be afraid to try new things," Oestlund said. "Be open-minded and just try stuff. Because I think that's what it's mostly about—life experience."

He left Germany in search of a new experience. At Lake Erie, he found another place to call home. 
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