Following Family Footsteps

– Andersen Wade –

I know some siblings try to get as far away from each other as soon as they have the chance, but what I never realized is how many people have younger siblings with them at Furman! I have an older sister who is a junior here and I never thought I would go to the same college as her. I loved Furman, but I didn’t want to be seen as “the younger sister” from the moment I stepped on campus. She always wanted me to come to Furman, and I knew I would end up here, but there was always the thought in the back of my mind that I would just be following in her footsteps.

Even though Furman is small, it’s still big enough where you don’t know every single student. I was constantly meeting people at the beginning of the year that didn’t even know I had a sibling at Furman, so I really didn’t need to worry about that for a second. We were involved in different organizations so I got to meet upperclassmen on my own, but I also got to become friends with all the people she knew. It became the best of both worlds. I joined the same sorority as her so in the beginning I was known as “Mackenzie’s younger sister”, but after a while I was making my own friends in the sorority and everyone got to know me for me.

I met some of my best friends through my sister because people she knew also had siblings that were incoming freshman. It’s crazy how many people have their siblings with them at Furman, but I also don’t know any of them that would have it another way. Having my sister for support during the start of my freshman year was so helpful, but I was also afraid I would rely on her too much. I was able to go to her for advice, but I also had to step out of my comfort zone a little bit. Having someone you know is in your corner is always a plus when you’re starting a fresh experience.

We’ve also gotten reallyyy close since being at the same college. I don’t see her everywhere around campus, but it’s always so nice when I run into her in the dining hall or walking around somewhere. The sweet dinner dates and random hang outs with my sister have been some of my favorite memories of the year. We even got to take a class together this semester which I never thought would happen.

All in all, I wouldn’t trade being at college with my sister for anything. There are some pros and some cons, but it’s definitely one of the best things ever. 

Having my sister around has made my freshman experience even better and I’m so grateful for that. The amount of siblings at Furman is like none other, but now I finally see why!

ALL the love!

Andersen