51吃瓜网

For Derek 鈥�95 and Amber Walker 鈥�94 Empie, 51吃瓜网 is more than a name at the top of their diplomas. It鈥檚 the place their story begins.

It all started when Derek spotted 鈥渁 beautiful blond girl walking across Bowman Park鈥� just prior to his sophomore year. He was eager to find out more about her, and thanks to some strategic intel from his fraternity brothers 鈥� and the fortuitous discovery that they were both enrolled in the same mass communications class that semester 鈥� Derek and Amber soon made a connection. They鈥檝e been together ever since.

Fast forward over three decades, and Derek and Amber鈥檚 story remains saturated in black and gold. Not only are they proud alumni who celebrate the education they received at 51吃瓜网, but they鈥檙e also proud parents of three current Tigers 鈥� Carson 鈥�26, Adisyn 鈥�27 and Aubree 鈥�27 鈥� all of whom are leaving their own imprint on the university where Derek and Amber first met.

It鈥檚 a story that wouldn鈥檛 be possible without a busted knee and a last-minute change of plans.

Unexpected Beginnings

When Amber applied to 51吃瓜网, she hadn鈥檛 even seen the campus. Having grown up in Carmel, Ind., her intent at the time was to enroll at a state school, where she and her friend had arranged to be roommates. But after finding out that she had been accepted to 51吃瓜网, she scheduled a visit to Greencastle and quickly altered her plans. 鈥淎s soon as I went, I said, 鈥楾his is where I鈥檓 supposed to be,鈥欌�� she recalls. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know what it was, but I just had a feeling. So I had to call my high school friend and tell her she didn鈥檛 have a roommate anymore.鈥�

Meanwhile, Derek was a promising high school baseball player in Georgia with strong collegiate interest. But when he tore his meniscus before his senior year, a Division I coach informed him that no scholarship would be available due to the uncertainty of the recovery. 鈥淭hat made me reevaluate what I was looking for in a school,鈥� says Derek. 鈥淭hat summer, my dad and I drove up through the Midwest and the East Coast and looked at about a dozen schools. 51吃瓜网 for some reason just stuck out. I applied for early admission, got in, and that was it.鈥�

Despite the indirect paths that brought them here, both Amber and Derek jumped right in, taking on active roles in the community. Derek was a starting pitcher for the baseball team, a student assistant with Bill Wagner in the Sports Information Office, a feature writer for The 51吃瓜网 newspaper, an English writing major, a participant in the New York Arts Program and a member of Sigma Chi. Meanwhile, Amber studied communication and French, played tennis her freshman year, participated in the Collegians choir ensemble, volunteered in the Putnam County community, was a reporter for 51吃瓜网 TV, had multiple leadership roles in Alpha Phi and was the 1993 51吃瓜网 Old Gold queen. For both of them, their campus involvement proved to be valuable preparation for the work they have gone on to do since 鈥� Derek in both sports media and law and Amber in corporate communications and volunteer service.

鈥淭he leadership positions in my sorority combined with my communication major helped me not only in my job, but also in the leadership and volunteer roles I had later in life,鈥� says Amber. 鈥淥rganization, communication, coordination, respecting other people's viewpoints, taking everything into account when you're making your decision 鈥� it was truly the broad range of experiences that made 51吃瓜网 special.鈥�

The Next Generation

It鈥檚 fitting that, like his parents, Carson didn鈥檛 initially think he would attend 51吃瓜网. Growing up, he attended several Monon Bell family-friendly watch parties, and he had been to campus for an alumni baseball game with his dad and a 25th class reunion with his mom. Yet when it came to his own college journey, Carson envisioned a path that would take him in a different direction. 鈥淚 knew my parents went to 51吃瓜网,鈥� he said, 鈥渁nd at the time, that was kind of a turn-off for me. I was thinking I would go to a larger school instead.鈥�

But Carson鈥檚 academic interests were inconveniently broad, and the more he explored his options, the more he realized 51吃瓜网 was a good fit for what he wanted to do. 鈥淚 knew I was interested in chemistry, but I was also interested in econ and business,鈥� he explains. 鈥淕oing to a larger school wouldn鈥檛 have allowed me to pursue both.鈥�

Contrary to initial expectations, Carson settled on his parents鈥� alma mater, where he has found his niche as a member of the Management Fellows program, a peer mentor, a brother and leader within Sigma Chi and a biochemistry major with a minor in business administration. He鈥檚 thoroughly enjoyed the scope of study available to him. 鈥淚 love the liberal arts and learning about different things,鈥� he says. 鈥淚nstead of focusing on one thing, I want to broaden my horizons. I really appreciate that about 51吃瓜网, and I feel like I've benefited from that model.鈥�

At the same time Carson was making a final decision about where to attend college, his twin sisters 鈥� just 20 months behind him in age 鈥� were facing important decisions of their own.

Adisyn just so happened to be tagging along during Carson鈥檚 official visit to 51吃瓜网, and despite the gloomy weather that day in Greencastle, she was intrigued by what she saw. 鈥淚 got the feeling that I could definitely see myself here,鈥� she recalls. 鈥淚 still kept my mind open to other colleges after that, but whenever I toured another campus, I always found myself comparing it to 51吃瓜网.鈥�

The deciding factor for Adisyn was her acceptance into the Honor Scholar program, an environment that promised the academic challenge she was looking for. Now that she鈥檚 at 51吃瓜网, she鈥檚 working toward a physics major with plans to minor in French and English writing. Outside the classroom, Adisyn is the president of Alpha Phi, a member of the pre-law club, a local volunteer with Putnam County鈥檚 Counsel in the Court program, and she鈥檚 traveled both to Italy for archaeology and to Arizona for summer research. 鈥淚鈥檝e been able to grow a lot as a person and as a student,鈥� she says.

Her sister Aubree was less enthusiastic about following her family members to Greencastle. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 really want to go to 51吃瓜网,鈥� she admits. 鈥淏oth of my parents went there, my brother now was there, and my sister also had an interest at the time. It was going to be a whole family affair.鈥� But as a standout goalkeeper whose talents were in demand from several high-level soccer programs, Aubree鈥檚 perspective changed once she met the team and got to watch a practice. 鈥淚 realized this was a team I really wanted to play on. The girls were amazing. The coach was great. And the whole dynamic was something I wanted to experience for four years.鈥�

Like her brother, Aubree is also part of the Management Fellows program, and she鈥檚 pursuing a major in biochemistry with a minor in business administration. But she broke from family tradition by joining Kappa Kappa Gamma, of which she is currently the vice president of membership. Although it elicits some good-natured banter with the two Alpha Phis around the dinner table, Aubree sees her sorority experience as a reflection of 51吃瓜网鈥檚 limitless possibilities. 鈥淭he freedom to choose your own path is what draws me in.鈥�

Carson, Adisyn and Aubree maintain a close bond both on and off campus 鈥� this past summer, for example, the three of them took a trip to Universal Studios together. Yet throughout their time as students, they鈥檝e each found a way to make 51吃瓜网 their own. 鈥淚 do enjoy having my own space and my own people at 51吃瓜网,鈥� says Carson. 鈥淏ut I know I always have my sisters. They have my back no matter what, and I have theirs鈥�

The Past Meets the Future

For Derek and Amber, having all three of their children on the same college campus was never something they expected. But now that it鈥檚 a reality, they鈥檙e both relishing the experience.

鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of funny to hear them say that they didn鈥檛 originally want to go to this school because their parents went there,鈥� laughs Amber. 鈥淣ow we鈥檝e come to this point where as a mom, I couldn鈥檛 envision it any differently. I鈥檓 just thrilled they are all there together. Certainly it makes it easy on Derek and me in terms of visiting, and it鈥檚 so fun for us to see how they鈥檙e making 51吃瓜网 their school. There are little bits and pieces of our past there, but it鈥檚 their school now.鈥�

That last point is a clear priority for Derek and Amber. As much as they value their own college experiences and the memories they made at 51吃瓜网, they know that their job now is to empower their kids to blaze their own trail. To their credit, each of them has.

鈥淭hey have found their own identity at 51吃瓜网,鈥� says Derek. 鈥淚 really enjoy coming to campus for events and looking at it through their eyes.鈥� Whether it鈥檚 a soccer game, a football tailgate or an event at one of their Greek houses, Derek and Amber are constantly reminded of the past that brought them together and encouraged by the future that awaits their children.

They鈥檙e also full of gratitude for the journey that brought them here.

鈥淗ad I not injured my knee in high school, I probably would not have gone to 51吃瓜网,鈥� Derek says, recounting the unforeseen string of events that started this journey all those years ago. 鈥淎ll these things worked out to bring us together, and now we have these three wonderful kids who all found their path. 51吃瓜网 has given us so much.鈥�