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Cherishing college with the clan

Home is where the heart is. “Ohana” means family; family means no one gets left behind or forgotten. Blood is thicker than water. There are several cliché ways to express the importance of a strong family unit.

That being said, it only makes sense that family members who grow up in the same environment would have similar preferences for their new homes. Siblings weekend is fast approaching, and for those without the presence of brothers and sisters living on campus, it is a time to reunite and catch up with family.

Whether a legacy or currently experiencing college with siblings, some students have an opportunity to face the next four years with those they grew up with.

Freshman Vinny Dellaria and his two sisters Sammy and Jenna are triplets. He said he and his sisters try to do a siblings dinner at least once a week, emulating their dinners at home in Cary, IL.

“It is so relieving to know that when I am going through a rough time, need someone to talk to or just want to laugh and have fun, I have my sisters and partners in crime just a couple steps away,” Vinny, a graphic design major, said. “[That] has really helped me transition into the college life and ease some of the homesickness because I brought two pieces of home with me.”

Vinny, Sammy and Jenna said they knew they wanted to attend the same college because they have been inseparable since birth. When they toured the campus with their family, they instantaneously fell in love with Bradley’s atmosphere and knew that they had found a new home.

“I feel that Bradley University is allowing my sisters and I to blossom in our own ways into the unique individuals and adults we want to become while still allowing us to have fun and continue to grow up together,” Vinny said. “I love having my sisters here with me at Bradley, and I don’t think any of us would have it any other way.”

Similarly, freshman Adrianna Arvia and her senior sister Amira attend Bradley. They are members of Sigma Kappa, but Adrianna said she didn’t join the sisterhood because of her biological sister.

“I didn’t initially want to join a sorority, but when I visited her, I realized that it wasn’t how it was portrayed in the movies,” freshman nursing major Adrianna said. “When I rushed in the fall, I kept my picks a secret from her, and she didn’t know that I chose SK until I ran to the house on bid day.”

Adrianna met her roommate, freshman hospitality leadership major Sara Fleming, because of her older sister, Amira. Sara’s older brother, Brian, a business management and administration major, and Amira became friends during their freshman orientation and when their younger sisters decided to attend Bradley, they introduced them.

“My sister definitely influenced my decision to come here because she visited more schools than I did, and we are so similar that I trusted her judgment and was able to narrow down my search,” Amira said. “Bradley just felt like home, and now my younger sister is attending Bradley in the fall.”

Siblings weekend will be Feb. 20 and Feb. 21. Students may contact Student Activities with questions.

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