The friends made at UHart are the friends that will stick with you for life. Susan Buchholz '78, Lynne Pernell '78, Coreen Sumple '78, Naomi Lerner Tussin '77, Patricia Rissmeyer '78, Jill Hoffknecht '78, Rosemary Harbeson '78, Lisa Wolf '78, and Dodie Hannigan '78 are proof of this. From living together in Andrews and Barlow to becoming resident assistants and Orientation leaders, this group of women have developed lasting friendships that have been there for them through the highs and lows of life after UHart.
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Most of the group met in the first week of their first year at UHart in their residence hall, when they were 17 and 18 years old and excited to be in college and a new environment. Throughout the years, the group stuck together—a majority becoming residents assistants and Orientation leaders. Although Hannigan didn’t live with everyone her first year, she later became close with the group when she worked as a resident assistant and references herself as an “honorary Barlow girl.” Tussin joined the posse in their second year, her first as a transfer.
Since graduating, the “Barlow Girls” have kept in touch. Pre-email this was a harder task, but every few years, one of the women would organize the group and get everyone together for Homecoming Weekend (now Hawktober Weekend)—and every now and then, get-togethers on campus when people came back to the area for vacations. Most recently, the group came together virtually for Hawk Pride and Seek and competed against other teams of UHart alumni in the Day of Giving scavenger hunt. Through the event, the group was able to reconnect and reminisce about their days together at UHart. “For me, it’s about relationships. It doesn’t matter what the event is, just show up,” Rissmeyer adds when asked about ways to keep in touch.
The group feels fortunate now that they have social media to help stay connected. They advise current students and young alumni to use social media to help carry their friendships into the future. “You realize how important your friends are to you at a point in your life that was so important...embrace the tools you have and stay in touch with everybody because there are a lot of memories there,” commented Wolfe.
We love hearing about the friendships formed during your years at UHart. If you would like your friendship story to be featured, please tell us your story!