You’ve heard the phrase, the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
But a couple of NWU parents have flipped that idiom and have looked to their students’ college experiences for inspiration.
For Rob Barie and his two daughters Lucy and Sally, Nebraska Wesleyan University is truly a family matter. All three are students this year, and there are three more at home being encouraged to follow in their footsteps.
Because of Lucy’s positive experiences in her first two years at Nebraska Wesleyan, her younger sister decided Nebraska Wesleyan was a good fit for her too. Lucy is a junior studying psychology while Sally is a first-year student majoring in education. With the addition of the university’s new Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, their dad decided to enroll too.
“Getting my master’s degree has always been on my bucket list, and I was interested in the new MBA program when NWU announced it,” said Rob. “I wanted to take advantage of it.”
Sally and Rob began their NWU college careers together in August. Their first-day experiences were similar, though the adjustment was probably a bit easier for Sally, her dad admitted.
“I was nervous,” said Rob. “I hadn’t been in the classroom in probably 30 years. It was nervousness, excitement, and optimism.”
The family is now settled into their new routines. Sally is adjusting to her class schedule, homework and activities with her sorority. For Rob it’s been more about time management. He is the managing director at Nelnet Business Solutions where he manages the operations side of the organization.
“I’m having to balance my time a little bit differently both professionally and personally,” he said. “I really like it a lot though.”
While all three are on campus, Rob said he rarely sees his daughters unless they make arrangements. Lucy and Sally see each other frequently on their way to class and or at Willard Sorority.
But when they’re together, their NWU experience is a big part of their conversations.
“We do talk about homework and tests and such,” said Rob. “I’m probably more interested in their experiences than they are mine.”
“Sally and I talk to each other about professors and paper writing,” said Lucy. “We kind of try to bring up different resources to one another.”
“The thing that’s really interesting is that we’re all different. Sally works in the Weary Center, Lucy works in the library, and I have other interests,” Rob added. “We’re all taking advantage of the Nebraska Wesleyan experience. We get a nice balance of experiences.”
The Baries aren’t the only family to unite on campus. Sharon and Leah Harms, a mother-daughter pair from Hickman, call each other classmates too.
Sharon, like Rob, is enrolled in the new MBA program.
“I had started my master’s degree via an online program with Colorado State University. When I heard that NWU was starting an MBA program I was immediately interested in checking it out,” said Sharon. “Knowing how much Leah has enjoyed her college experience at Nebraska Wesleyan made this an easy decision for me.”
Leah is a senior psychology major who is also taking graduate courses in forensic science.
“I chose to stay at Nebraska Wesleyan for my graduate studies because of the superior education and the opportunities for growth toward my future career,” said Leah.
Because Sharon and Leah both started their graduate programs this fall, they are able to talk about their experiences. By May both will have 12 credit hours completed toward their respective master’s degrees. This creates the possibility of the two crossing the stage together at commencement in a couple of years.
“I think it’s kind of fun to be taking graduate courses at the same time as my daughter. Even though our programs are entirely different, it still makes for interesting conversations with friends and acquaintances when they find out Leah and I are both in graduate school at NWU,” said Sharon.