All my life two things have persisted. I’ve been an “old soul” and have tended to do my own thing rarely given into pressures no matter how small or large.

Growing up in Ohio it was pretty much expected I would go to The Ohio State University. Being in south-central Ohio all my K-12 life — becoming a Buckeye is often the next step for many. Especially given my parents, numerous aunts and uncles on both sides of the family were alumni. I grew up all around it. Football games every fall, the university came up in some capacity at every family function and growing up an hour from Columbus — you couldn’t avoid it. With the addition of two successful professional sports teams things have changed but as a kid — OSU essentially was the main aspect of the city.

However, I had little to no interest. Way too large. OSU was a city within the city. I wanted to do my own thing. University of Dayton? Too large. Xavier University? Still a bit too large for my liking. John Carroll University? Beautiful campus and right size but the scholarships weren’t enough to make it happen, unfortunately.

However, while JCU didn’t work out — another school in the same conference much closer to my hometown came through with scholarships and when I visited — everything clicked. It was home. Wilmington College.

So the Catholic kid from small town Ohio landed on a beautiful Quaker institution just one county over. Doing my own thing once again.

That was 25 years ago when the journey began. As an undergraduate student, I was immediately taken in by the faculty and staff. Small class sizes and dorms you really got to know everyone on campus – student and faculty alike. A true campus community.

The campus community pushed me in ways I never realized. Socially, leadership opportunities galore and intellectually.

Fast forward to today. I look back with pride on how much the university has meant to me both as an undergrad and many years into my alumni journey. Giving back to the college fiscally is never enough. Nor is being active on alumni advisory council. Being several states away, I still try to get back on campus at least annually and maintain friendships with faculty and fellow students from my undergraduate days while bonding new connections with current faculty.

Google #WhyD3. You’ll get a small sense of the small college bond. Why this lifelong Bengals fan can’t help but be thrilled when the Eagles won the Super Bowl this year. Their head coach is a Mount Union alum – our conference. He represents small colleges everywhere and always talks about his D3 college experiences. Just one example of this bond — even outside of my college specifically.

The bond is special. Always has been – always will be. Even though I’ve far away the bond between myself and my beloved small college has never been stronger.

#WeAreDubC

*Photos throughout this post are from homecoming weekend 2024*