Four brothers, one campus

For the Colwell brothers, an ordinary day at school could turn into a family reunion with a simple request to meet for dinner. Though conflicting schedules and different interests don’t always allow them to see each other often, they value the time that they do get to spend together.

While many generations of families come through the University of Dayton over the years, it’s a unique situation to have four brothers to share in that experience simultaneously.

The eldest, Chris ’17, started the Flyer tradition five years ago when he left his home in Dublin, Ohio to begin his first year at UD.

“I was here two years earlier than my first brother Nicholas,” the civil engineering graduate student said. “So it is like you have a little break, you realize how much you miss being with them, and then one by one they all start showing up here.”

Soon brothers Nick ’19, Jon ’21 and Ben ’21 arrived at UD and now all four brothers are pursuing their academics on the same campus.

Surprisingly, the fact that family would be around was just a happy bonus for the next three siblings. All say what they valued most was the rigorous education they would receive at UD as the main reason they chose to attend, though there’s no denying the advantage of having family around.

“If I ever have a problem or simply want to be with my family, I know that my brothers are only a few minutes away” Nick said.

Three play intramural soccer together, which allows them to spend more quality time together. They enjoy attending basketball games with each other, and smaller perks like sharing meal plans and washer and dryer access.

But, each Colwell brother has been able to find something individually to devote their time to that makes their UD experience unique to him — from Battle of the Bands to joining a co-op.

“There has been something there for all of my sons,” said Michael Colwell, the siblings’ father. The only downside? Packing to go home for breaks. “It takes a lot of planning for how many cars need to go home and back in order to make packing a little bit easier,” Ben said