Siblings Manage Distance When Separated By College

As the end of the school year approaches, many Menlo seniors prepare to spend their next four years in college, away from their families. Graduating seniors are not the only ones experiencing change, however; younger siblings are also left to adapt to emptier households. 

Some younger siblings are worried that they will greatly miss their brother or sister once they leave for college, but these siblings find a way to continue their relationship past Menlo and sometimes even strengthen their relationship. 

Freshman Charlie Allard feels lucky to currently attend Menlo with his older brother, Lucas. According to Charlie, although he and his brother have very different personalities, they still find ways to have a strong connection. “It’ll definitely be very different being here without him,” Charlie said.

Oftentimes, and in Charlie’s case, younger siblings see their older siblings as a mentor. Charlie feels confident that he’ll be able to connect and receive this same mentorship through phone calls. According to Charlie, his brother helps him a lot with picking classes to take and homework. “We’ll definitely be able to continue this relationship while he’s in college,” Charlie said.

Further, many younger siblings worry they will miss their older siblings once they leave for college. Freshman Ella Skinner has two older brothers, Colin, a sophomore in college, and Aidan, a current senior at Menlo. After Aidan graduates this year, she will be the only one left at Menlo. “I have already gone through it with my oldest brother, but I’m still not sure how I’m going to react,” Ella said.

Ella explained that similar to Charlie, she and her brothers weren’t the closest through their childhood years due to their differing hobbies. “I just like knowing that my brother is on campus with me,” Ella said. She hopes to find different ways to connect personally with both of her brothers over the next few years. 

Junior Brooke Dunsby’s sister, Hailey, is a freshman in college and believes that their bond has strengthened since she went off to college. According to Brooke, she was really close with Hailey and was especially worried that she wouldn’t be able to survive at Menlo without her sister on campus. 

According to Brooke, the last day of school before Hailey graduated was the toughest. “I walked into math class and I was a mess. [Hailey and I] just sat on the loop bawling for like 20 minutes,” Brooke said. She said that this experience has made her realize that she has to stay close to her sister, however hard it may be.

According to Brooke, she and Hailey call every day on the way home from school, and they send each other daily selfies to stay connected through the long distance. She thinks that all students should make an effort, like she did, to stay close with their siblings when they go off to college.