Furman families, present and future, win big on Family Weekend

More than 1,600 Furman University family members and friends roamed the picturesque campus last weekend, Oct. 3-5, getting a taste of the university life their students have been living. Scroll down for photos. 

Friday offered campus tours, two shows in the Timmons Planetarium and a band extravaganza in McAlister Auditorium. Saturday delivered an expo with information and discussions about engaged learning — research, internships and study away — a session on sorority and fraternity life and a barbecue tailgate lunch under sunny skies. Go here for a full schedule.

Amiya Young ’26, a health sciences major, hung with her family around the rugby field. Even though most of her family is in Greenwood, less than an hour and a half south of Furman, they’ve come for Parent and Family Weekend each year. The time, said her dad, Dexter Young, has flown by very fast. “I’m very appreciative of the Furman family,” he says. “Amiya has been challenged and she’s done well. I feel like Furman has prepared her for her next stage of life.”

Amiya Young has taken advantage of Furman’s opportunities. She’s done two internships and she went to South Africa last year on a MayX trip. “I plan to take a gap year, then go to physical therapy school,” she said.

Eric Allen flew in from San Diego to visit his daughter Laura Allen ’29. On a walk around Furman Lake the pair FaceTimed with wife/mom Donna Allen back on the West Coast, who was unable to make it. “I was sufficiently jealous,” Donna Allen said.

“At the end of the summer we packed Laura up and accompanied her to her new home in Blackwell Hall,” Eric Allen said. “It was so great to finally see her again!”

Laura Allen ’29 and her dad Eric Allen took a walk around Furman Lake during Family Weekend 2025. Photo provided.

“Having family so physically distant while at Furman is difficult,” Laura Allen said. “Yes, we call and FaceTime but that’s nothing like being able to run up to my parents and give them the largest hug. I was able to give that hug to my dad during Family Weekend and I feel so much more aligned with myself after spending time with one of the people who means the world to me.”

Eric left the weekend looking cool in a “Furman Dad” sweatshirt.

Three families crossed international borders to get here, coming from The Netherlands, Grand Cayman and Canada, said Lauren Schmaltz, one of the weekend organizers.

For the first time, the university held a special Fall for Furman admissions event for high school seniors in conjunction with Family Weekend. Fall for Furman introduces interested high school students and their families in the Furman ways. Last weekend, 75 seniors from 13 states toured campus and learned about academic and other aspects of campus to inform their application decision before the Nov. 1 Early Decision, Early Action deadline. See all the admissions info here. Holding the events together also gave prospective students and families the chance to meet and talk with current families.

“It was definitely a success,” said Elizabeth Hawthorne Martin, director of recruitment. “We loved the energy of the combined event!” Another Fall for Furman, designed for high school juniors and seniors, will be held Saturday, Nov. 15. See all the admissions info here.

Athletics were a big part of the weekend. Saturday’s tailgate led to the Paladins football team taking on East Tennessee. The Paladins battled back 15-points down, and on the last play of the game, with East Tennessee threatening to score, Jordan Miller ’28 intercepted a pass and ran it 95 yards for a Paladin touchdown, 31-22 for the good guys.

In more Paladin sports, the women’s volleyball team beat The Citadel 3-0 on Friday, and on Sunday the women’s soccer team played Samford University to a 2-2 tie.