The stacks of college mail my sister Lydia began receiving last summer brought me back to my own college hunting days. I knew I wanted to major in communications, so the task was finding a school that was the best fit.
I learned about Gannon University at a college fair in Pittsburgh, but I really fell in love the moment I set foot on campus. Call me cheesy, but it felt like home to me and I knew I’d spend my four years of college there.
Fast forward 11 years to my sister’s senior year of high school and her search for the best place to train her to become a physician assistant. When I was looking for a hands-on learning environment, I meant one where I could write for the student newspaper and get involved with the radio station. For her, it meant a quality patient simulation lab and opportunities for internships.
As I’m sure you’ve guessed, Lydia has chosen Gannon as well. From the moment she said Gannon was one of her top-choice schools, I’ve had too many people to count say, “Oh, and I bet you had nothing to do with her choice.” I honestly felt that I hadn’t. She was going into such a drastically different field from the one I had studied. How could I possibly influence her choice when I didn’t know the first thing about evaluating a physician assistant program?
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that maybe my four years at Gannon influenced her in non-academic ways. Lydia was a four-year participant in Little Sibs Weekend while I was a student. By my senior year, she knew her way around almost as well as I did.
During those weekends, I was able to show her the best that the university offered. We participated in activities in the Waldron Campus Center, saw shows and rehearsals at the Schuster Theatre, attended Mass at the Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapel, ate in the cafeteria and the list goes on. Lydia really felt at home on campus during those visits.
As evidenced by my most recent trip back for Homecoming this past fall, Gannon has continued to grow and evolve. I’m excited to have more excuses to visit over the next five years as Lydia earns her degrees at Gannon.
I hope she forms lasting friendships, finds influential professors and takes advantage of opportunities to join clubs and organizations. I know that if she does, her time at Gannon will be as memorable and wonderful as mine.
KELLY FENNESSY ‘08
