Going to college with your parents might seem like a dream to some and a nightmare to others, but for a handful of Goshen College students, this is their reality. The children of faculty members on campus have a unique experience, studying at the same place as their parents and seeing them around campus.
Harry Cruz, first-year history pre-law major, is one of the students on campus who is the child of a faculty member. “My mom works here in the music center, Veronica Kindel,” Cruz said, “At first, when I went to college, I felt uneasy with my mom going here. I didn’t know if people felt about me a certain way because I had parents working here.”However, despite his initial concerns, he said that while everyone recognized him from his mom talking about him, this wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. “I felt really welcomed here, especially knowing that people felt comfortable talking to me without knowing me, just from knowing my mom,” he said.
“I can be kind of awkward when people realize who my mom is, since we don’t have the same last name. Some people get a little weird, especially when we both have worked together in the music center and they go ‘You guys look alike!’ and I have to go, ‘Yeah, she’s my mom.’ But, in all seriousness, I feel lucky to have my mom work here, I have someone to rely on whenever I need help. And we get to go to lunch together all the time!” Cruz said.
Haydan Blank, a first-year accounting major, and son of Michelle Blank, senior director of the academic success center, shares a similar sentiment. “I don’t really mind studying with my mom close by. She helps me out with classes and when I’m struggling. It’s actually kind of nice to have that safety net around,” Blank said. He added that while he is frequently recognized for sharing a last name with his mom, he isn’t bothered by the association.
Eliza and Mireya Alemán also both have faculty parents here at GC. “My stepmom is an admissions counselor here at GC, and my father is the outreach coordinator from College Mennonite Church,” said Eliza Alemán, “Occasionally, people do recognize me, especially older local Mennonites because of the work my dad does for the church. I don’t mind it though — I enjoy making connections with new people!”
Mireya Alemán said the same, “He seems to be really good at it considering whenever people find out he’s my dad they always recognize the hard work he’s done. I always tell them I get my ambition from him.”
Mireya Alemán also shared about their stepmom: “It is nice being able to pop into her office every once in a while and see how she’s doing and how her day is going. The employees in the admissions office are always welcoming and it’s fun to get to know the people behind our incoming classes.”
“I find that having my parents so close by isn’t really a life changing experience but it does offer a sense of comfort knowing I have a piece of home near me,” Mireya Alemán said, and Eliza Alemán agreed, “Everyone usually has something nice to say about my parents, or something nice to say to my parents about me. Overall, having faculty relations really just helps me feel more connected and cared for.”
