College of Arts and Sciences Graduates Set of Triplets
The Bonaparte triplets are ready for their future.
The Bonaparte triplets, Rachel, Derek, and Kevin of Middletown, Connecticut, originally planned to split up when they went to college.
That was before Rachel, the oldest, attended a University of Hartford accepted student day event and was so excited about the school that her brothers thought they also should apply.
“I think it was the next day that the boys signed up for a tour and loved the school just as much as I did,” Rachel explains. Now the siblings are thankful that they went through college together.
“It was nice to have my brother and sister at school with me,” says Derek, the youngest. “I went through some rough times in college and I wouldn’t have made it through without them.” Kevin adds, “We had a built-in friend group.”
Rachel Bonaparte, 19Studying abroad was such an amazing experience and I’m so lucky to have had Kevin with me. We share the same memories and can always turn to each other when we want to reminisce.
UHart’s 2019 Commencement falls on May 19 which also is their mother’s birthday. Derek and Rachel earned degrees in communication and Kevin a degree in computer science in the College of Arts and Sciences.
All three say they took advantage of every opportunity at the University. Derek and Rachel had multiple internship programs, Derek and Kevin enrolled in the University Honors Program, and Kevin was a fellow in the Humanities Center during his senior year. Rachel and Kevin studied abroad in London together during their junior year. They admit that decision was difficult at first because it meant being the farthest from Derek they’ve ever been.
Derek says, “Kevin and I slept in the same room together since we were born and it was weird to feel like an only child for three months.” Kevin agrees, “It was hard to leave my brother, but it turned out alright.” Rachel says, “Studying abroad was such an amazing experience and I’m so lucky to have had Kevin with me. We share the same memories and can always turn to each other when we want to reminisce.” While Kevin and Rachel were in London, Derek was busy producing live Hartford Hawks Athletic events for ESPN3 and ESPN+, which he began as soon as he arrived on campus.
Now the triplets are ready to embark on careers. Since he was young, Derek has dreamed about working at ESPN in Bristol, Connecticut, Kevin wants to develop video games, and Rachel hopes to work for a study abroad company to help students have the same great experiences she has had.