From siblings to schoolmates
Senior Bridget Scaturro will be joining her brother Peter next year at the University of Virginia. Courtesy of Bridget Scaturro ’14
For some seniors, leaving Convent of the Sacred Heart does not necessarily mean leaving all of their family behind.
Next year, seniors Katy Kugler, Bridget Scaturro, Jacqueline Thomas, Christie Huchro and Lindsay Sprague will be attending the same colleges as their siblings.
Katy will be attending the University of Michigan where her brother, Grant, studies. She believes that being with her brother will help her navigate through a school with 41,028 undergraduate and graduate students.
Although Katy originally planned on attending a smaller school, the university was a standout not only because of her family connections, but also because of its multitude of opportunities.
“A year ago, Michigan seemed like such a big school and was totally the opposite of the small liberal arts school I thought I would end up at, but I am so excited to be a Wolverine,” Katy said. “It was definitely meant to be.”
Senior Bridget Scaturro, who will be attending University of Virginia in the fall of 2014, also hopes that she and her brother, Peter, a current sophomore, will be able spend some time together regardless of their different academic interests.
“He is studying politics, while I will be majoring in Kinesiology. Because of our very different academic interests we will have few, if any, classes together,” Bridget said. “However, I know that we will meet up a lot out of class to catch up and make sure that we are up to date with each other’s lives.”
Bridget also felt confident in her choice to attend University of Virginia after seeing how much her brother appreciates the school.
Courtesy of Bridget Scaturro ’14
“Every time my brother walks onto Grounds, his face lights up and it is obvious that UVA will forever be another home for him,” Bridget said. “When I was visiting colleges I only hoped that I too would find the perfect place for me. After driving all over the country visiting college with my parents, I realized that I knew my dream school all along.”
Next year, Bridget will be able to adjust to the independence of college life not only with new friends, but also with the help of her brother. Senior Jacqueline Thomas, however, will begin the newest phase of her life without her brother, Michael.
While Michael is spending a semester abroad in Barcelona, Spain, Jacqueline will adapt on her own to the Duke University atmosphere that her brother has praised since he began as a freshman.
“Ultimately, through my brother’s unconditional support and the experiences we shared during my visits, I knew Duke was the perfect place for me to pursue my talents and my interests,” Jacqueline said.
Michael, who is currently a sophomore at Duke double majoring in Economics and Psychology, helped introduce Jacqueline to the school before she submitted her application. On her first visit, when her brother was a freshman, she was able to stay in a dorm and experience the Duke environment.
“I know that at Duke, I will be able to become the best version of myself,” Jacqueline said.
Although many students, including Jacqueline, Bridget and Katy, think having a sibling at college will make their new environment just like home, senior Christie Huchro was initially tentative about being a little too close to her sister.
“At first, I was very hesitant to go to the same school as Ally. I wanted to have a completely fresh start to college, so I was nervous about going out to Stanford,” Christie said. “But when I visited her last spring, I realized how big Stanford’s campus was.”
Christie and her sister will both be playing on the squash team for Stanford University, however, Christie hopes that she can also independently explore all of the opportunities that Stanford has to offer.
“I’m really looking forward to meeting new people. After having attended Sacred Heart for fifteen years, it will be fun to branch out and enter a totally different community,” Christie said.
Senior Lindsay Sprague is excited to spend time with her sister Shannon at Villanova University next year. Lindsay hopes, however, that they can lead their separate lives while still remaining close on campus.
“We definitely will spend time together because we are really close, but Villanova is a big enough school that we will also have space,” Lindsay said. “We don’t aways want to be with each other, especially in the beginning, because I need a chance to get settled and make friends.”
For most seniors, making the challenging and exciting transition from high school to college can be demanding. However, for Katy, Bridget, Jacqueline, Christie and Lindsay, the acclimation to college may be a little less difficult with their siblings by their sides.
– Sarah Jackmauh, Co-Features Editor
