The legacy label has stuck with many Villanovans, including me. I feel as if I am being pulled in both emotional directions when it comes to my connections to this institution. My father graduated from Villanova University’s School of Business in 1994. Thirty years later, I started my journey here. I feel a sense of pride, and I continue to choose this culture for myself. However, there is also a negative connotation surrounding a preference towards legacy students on campus, suggesting that our experience is somehow easier or more enjoyable due to this status.
As a sophomore who has had my fair share of ups and downs during my time here, I do not feel as if my experience has been any different than every other student sitting next to me. Just because my dad walked these halls or had some of the professors doesn’t mean I am immune to the difficulties that come with being a college student. From living in the same dormitories to trudging through the same feelings of homesickness or pressures of belonging, I do not feel my experience has been any easier. Honestly, if anything, it has made my experience more daunting.
There is an additional pressure to be a legacy student, knowing that you have a lineage to uphold and people to make proud. Transferring or deciding Villanova wasn’t the right fit once I committed was never an option for me. Not only was this my dream, but it was also my legacy, something that my father worked hard to build. From performing well in classes to attempting to become involved on campus, I feel a duty to make my family proud because of the connections I have. People know I am my father’s daughter, and this sense of responsibility hangs over my head as I remember that I am not just representing myself but my entire family.
Senior Nora Tiffen has had both of her parents walk through the streets of Villanova, and she has her own story to share.
“I think because my parents went to Villanova,” Tiffen said. “I feel a deep connection to the school in that I’ve heard so many stories about their time here, and it really positively affected my view entering into school because I could see how positive it was for them, so I knew it would be for me.”
I share a similar sentiment to Tiffen. The legacy status many have does not mean an automatic five-star treatment. It is an internal meaning that we carry within us. Growing up, we saw how much this place meant to our parents in their formative years, and seeing them carry their experiences for decades opened our eyes to how lucky we are to have the same opportunity.
The stigma around legacy students on this campus has become infamous over the years, and I understand why. However as someone living this experience every day, there is so much more to being a legacy. I am incredibly blessed to have such strong emotional connections to this University and the people here. But I also know what it is like to feel an additional sense of pressure or even judgment from people who question if I got here on my own.
At the end of the day, being a legacy is not about entitlement or advantage. It is about inheritance in its truest form. It is the inheritance of stories, values, expectations and love for a place that has shaped generations before me and continues to shape who I am becoming. I did not arrive at Villanova carried by my last name. I arrived with it, carrying both its pride and its weight.
Like every student here, I work, struggle, question and grow in these classrooms and hallways. The difference, however, is that I understand, perhaps more deeply, what this place and campus can give back if you let it. Legacy is not a shortcut. It is a commitment. And for those of us who live it, Villanova is where our family’s story continues.
