Is there such a thing as too much togetherness? Perhaps, but not for the Hummelberg, Hoey and Prentis sisters. These three pairs of siblings share a lot more than genetics and hometowns: they now share an alma mater.
What’s it like to have a sibling with you at college? How much time do you (or should you) spend time with each other? And how do your parents handle the emotional and financial stress of having two daughters away at Wake?
Ali Hummelberg knew very early that Wake Forest was the school for her.
“During my last two years of high school, I visited Julianne as much as I possibly could,” says Ali. “Each time I visited, I had a blast and knew that Wake was where I wanted to go.”
Big sister, Julianne, also had an inkling that Ali was destined to be a Demon Deacon. And when their family moved from Virginia to California, being so close to each other was extra special. But don’t let this pair fool you: they don’t spend all their time together. They have different majors, run in different social circles and joined different sororities. Though they make a point to eat dinner together every Sunday, they lead their own lives on campus.
For the Hoey sisters, Wake Forest runs in the family. Mom, Dad and older sister Sarah are all Wake alums, but there were other reasons why Maggie and Mary both chose this school.
“When Mary was offered a scholarship to play volleyball, I flipped out, but tried not to,” says Maggie. “I wanted it to be 100% her decision. I think it was impossible to hide my feelings though.”
For younger sister Mary, having her big sister around has made the transition to college that much easier, as she gets a go-to best friend as a freshman!
“We can talk about boys and she knows who I’m talking about,” says Mary. “We can have weekly Pit dates, Starbucks study sessions and, my favorite, sleepovers!”
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When Lisa Prentis found out that younger sister Kate was looking at Wake, she too avoided pressuring her sister into choosing her school.
“I have taken a more hands-off approach and help her when she asks,” says Lisa. “We hang out every couple of days depending on how busy we are.”
Even though Kate knows she can go to her sister with anything – boy problems, school stress, homesickness, Pit-sickness – she also realizes that having an older sibling at the same school can have its downsides.
“There are times when you get known as just the ‘little sister’ and not as your own individual self,” says Kate.
Whether it’s needing a study break at Starbucks, a shoulder massage after a long day of classes, advice on the best place for frozen yogurt in Winston-Salem or just a familiar face and a hug, siblings at Wake take advantage of being no more than 10 minutes walking distance from one of their best friends.