In order to maintain the essence of Heart of the Matter, the students who share their hearts with us will remain anonymous.
Villanova, as all incoming students are told within their first few days of being on campus, means “new home.” But for many post-grad Villanovans, this campus and this community is now becoming an “old home” to look back on as their lives unfold in front of them. Homecoming Weekend offered a chance to relive those college moments that have since become cherished memories.
This weekend featured so many key parts of Villanova culture. From the tailgate on Mendel Field and the football game, to dinners with friends and long walks around campus, there was plenty to enjoy. Many alumni look forward to homecoming weeks in advance, no matter how long it’s been since their graduation. Villanova, recent graduates find, is not a community one can leave behind too easily.
Current students were just as excited to see who will be coming back to campus. After spending any amount of their college experience with a group of people, it’s impossible not to look forward to their return.
“I loved hearing about what my recent graduate friends have been up to since leaving Villanova,” one student said.
Sharing stories is one of the best traditions of Homecoming Weekend as friends now have entire new lives to share. For some, Homecoming also meant seeing the people who were their very first familiar faces on campus. As the cycle of college continues and one class after another ventures out into the world, they inevitably leave behind the younger classes that initially looked up to them as role models. Homecoming was particularly special for those students, now upperclassmen themselves, who have become the role models they once saw in these grads. For them, it is also an opportunity to see all of the things waiting for them beyond the Villanova bubble.
“I love alumni weekend because I love reuniting with former members of clubs that are so integral to my time at Villanova,” another student said. “They were the ones who welcomed me to campus, so having the opportunity to see them again means a lot to my Villanova experience.”
Whether it was a quick catch-up or a best friend coming back to crash at your apartment, this weekend was all about looking back on old memories, making new ones and strengthening our community.
“As a recent graduate, I was really looking forward to alumni weekend to be able to catch up with people from my class and hear about all the amazing things my underclassmen friends are up to currently,” a member of the class of 2025 said. “I truly missed the Villanova community and seeing everyone felt like I never even left.”
These moments set the tone for the tight-knit web Villanovans are known for weaving together. We love being together and want to celebrate those relationships whenever we can. Homecoming perfectly embodied, then, what it means to be a Villanovan. Nothing proves this more than the alumni of all years that can be seen across campus during the festivities.
“My husband and I come to alumni weekend each year with our roommates and best friends from Villanova,” a graduate from the class of 1991 said. “What has continued to make it special over the years is the amount of kids we have all had combined who have now joined us as alumni or are still students here. There is no better feeling than us being able to share the experience and community of Villanova with our kids.”
So, as scary as growing up and graduating can be, homecoming was an example of how Villanovans can stay involved post-grad and return to the community that has given them so much. We were so happy to welcome you home, Wildcats.
