With Homecoming festivities well underway, alumni are returning to the Hilltop. For some, this means sharing experiences with family members.
Senior elementary education major Ciera Harvill is the daughter of alumna Julie Harvill and sister of alumna Cassandra Harvill.
Ciera said she first became interested in Bradley when going on college visits with her sister, and after her sister started attending the university, she liked the idea of having Cassandra on campus with her.
“When I came to Bradley, it felt comfortable and right,” Ciera said. “I loved [having my sister on campus]. It’s been weird that she hasn’t been here, but it hasn’t been too hard because I have my friends that act as my family now.”
Ciera said her sister and mother had a big influence on her decision to attend Bradley.
“I was very confused and I wasn’t ready to graduate high school,” she said. “My mom was like ‘You know what, Cassandra is having a great experience here, and I had a great experience here; I think that you would enjoy Bradley as well.'”
According to Ciera, her mother Julie, a 1985 graduate with a degree in psychology, noticed differences on campus from when she attended.
“She would always say that Bradley is a university that is going to change while you’re there, and I think it’s awesome that…it’s actually coming true,” Ciera said.
Freshman elementary education major Taylor Mathis also comes from a long line of alumni, as her mom, dad, grandmother and uncle attended Bradley.
Coming from Richardson, Texas, Taylor said she tried looking for colleges close to home.
“Bradley was my first choice all along,” she said. “It’s a whole lot further from home [than other colleges], but I liked it a lot more. I love their academic program and the family history that I have here.”
According to Taylor, she knew about Bradley because of her family, but she didn’t make her decision because of them.
“When I came to visit, it just felt like home,” Taylor said.
Taylor’s father, John, graduated in 1987 with a dual degree in radio, television and film and broadcast journalism. John was initially interested in Bradley because his father was a professor.
“My decision to attend [Bradley] was financial to begin with, as I received free tuition, but was cemented by the incredible experience I had attending orientation,” John said. “I really, really enjoyed [orientation] and decided that I absolutely loved [Bradley] and could not see myself anywhere else.”
According to John, the education and opportunity that Bradley gave him was priceless.
“I became the person I am today from what I learned at Bradley,” he said. “For me, Bradley was what I made of it. I chose to make it great. I told Taylor [Bradley] would be for her what she makes it, and I want her and all of her friends to make it awesome.”
John, who was a member of Phi Gamma Delta (FIJI), met his wife Jennifer, who was a member of Pi Beta Phi, at Bradley while at an exchange between their greek chapters.
Jennifer, who graduated in 1988 with a degree in special education, said that while there is nothing she would have changed about Bradley when she attended, campus is better now.
“[John and I] say that we went to [Bradley] 30 years too soon,” she said. “I am excited about all the changes that have been made. It is a beautiful campus and has so many more amenities than when we went to school.”
