Sarah Choate, Contributing Writer
Each year, Asbury University welcomes alumni and the families of current students to campus to participate in homecoming celebrations. As families join together in celebrating Asbury’s heritage, the university intentionally includes high school-aged siblings of current Asbury students in the festivities by hosting Sibling Invasion weekend.
This year, 39 younger siblings stayed on campus with their older siblings. While on campus, they had the opportunity to get a taste for life at Asbury by visiting classes, meeting with admissions counselors and participating in homecoming events.
Mallary Wiley, the visit coordinator for Asbury’s office of admissions, said that Sibling Invasion helps integrate siblings of current students into the Asbury community by allowing them to do more than simply visit their siblings while on campus. During Sibling Invasion weekend, they are given access to a full schedule of events that allows them to see the academic, spiritual and social dimensions of campus life. Wiley noted that experiencing these things allows the siblings to consider Asbury for themselves.
The visiting siblings attended a registration event Thursday where they received their meal tickets and schedule for the weekend along with a “swag bag” of Asbury gear. They were then invited to attend the homecoming kickoff – a bonfire at the reservoir. The next day, siblings were able to attend classes, go on a campus tour and meet with various people in the admissions building. Friday night and Saturday, they were invited to attend homecoming festivities, including the coronation concert and sports events.
Junior Alyssa Pelletier’s younger sister Kryzana, 16, traveled 14 hours from Connecticut along with Pelletier’s mother and grandmother to visit for Sibling Invasion.
“This was her first time visiting any college and I think she really liked it,” said Pelletier. “I loved having her on campus. It was a lot of fun to show her the things I do and the people I know.”
Senior Paula Diaz, an admissions ambassador, was able to lead a dorm tour for the younger siblings. She said that she enjoyed showing them around and noted that over all, the high school-aged siblings were very excited to be on campus.
“It’s a really great event because it gets younger siblings involved in the college experience,” said Diaz.