The kin-nection

The Class of 2029 will include siblings of current Mercersburg students. Those who don’t encounter this circumstance may look at this situation and say, “That’s so cool. They’ll be at the same boarding school together!” 

But is this a good thing?

That depends on who you ask.

For some students, having a sibling on campus can be comforting. It can ease homesickness, provide someone to talk to, and create opportunities for shared experiences that few siblings ever get to have, like cheering each other on at games, running into each other at the dining hall, even just knowing that someone familiar is only a few dorms away. In a place as busy as Mercersburg, that sense of family can act as a safety net.

But for others, it’s more complicated. For many students, boarding school is a place to build a new identity and discover who they are, perhaps develop independence away from home. When your sibling is just down the hall, or even worse, in your classes or friend group, discovering that sense of self can be a little harder than expected. There’s the constant potential for comparison, for unwanted overlap, or even just the pressure of feeling watched by others. While some students are best friends with their siblings, others might not always want to see each other, especially during the stressful parts of the year that might define their high school years.

You can already see both sides of the experience playing out on campus: some siblings thrive in each other’s company–older brothers walking their younger sisters to practice, siblings swapping dining hall stories or even studying together. However, some barely cross paths or seem to intentionally keep their distance from one another to the point that it seems like they hardly know each other. 

For younger siblings, especially, coming to a school where their older sibling already has a reputation, whether it be good or bad, can feel like stepping into a shadow. Teachers, coaches, and even classmates might expect them to act a certain way, play the same sport, or achieve the same academic performance. That pressure to “live up” can be exhausting, especially for students who just want to be seen as an individual and have a fresh start.

So, is having a sibling at Mercersburg a blessing or a burden? Truthfully, it's both, and how that plays out depends entirely on the sibling dynamics. But one thing’s for sure: as the class of 2029 moves in, more families are about to find out.