“It was nice to come here and have connections and people I already knew, it was comforting,” said Cole.
Though McDaniel College has other sets of siblings in attendance, the Butler linage goes back to the 1950s.
“My dad’s parents met here and my mom’s mother attended what was then Western Maryland College, while dating my grandfather at Gettysburg College,” Jake Butler explained. “It seems weird that all four of my grandparents were so close.”
Butler’s mother and father followed suit, meeting here in Westminster in the ‘80s where they both attended Western Maryland College. During the same time as his parents, both of Butler’s father’s older sisters as well as his mother’s older and younger brothers took classes here.
Many things have changed over the years, but Butler says, “After talking to my parents about their college experiences it seem that I have had a very similar experience. I’ve even had the same professor that my dad had years ago.”
After talking further, Jake explained that the majority of his family still lives close and frequents McDaniel sporting events.
All of the Butler’s can agree that their family ties to this school helped solidify each one of their decisions to attend, but the main reasons why they chose WMC and McDaniel College differ. Jake’s grandfather, Robert, was interested in Western Maryland College’s ROTC (Reserve Officers Training Corps) program, while his grandmother from the other side of his family came because of the education program offered.
Jake’s parents came to participate in various sports teams: his mother was a member of the women’s field hockey and lacrosse teams, and his father played football. Both of his uncle’s from his mother’s side of the family played on the men’s lacrosse team.
Jake himself originally decided to attend McDaniel College after years of hearing his mother’s high praise of the education program that is offered here, but eventually shifted his focus to environmental policy.
A majority of the Butler family live within an hour drive of Westminster, so their proximity also helped guide their decisions to enroll. Overall, McDaniel College has a great deal to offer prospective students, as we can see through this large family’s continuing legacy here on campus.
