Fourth generation Flyer

My college decision was a pretty easy one. Ever since I was a kid, I have been surrounded by family members talking about how much they loved their time at Dayton. I grew up in Florida and Georgia before moving to Cincinnati when I was 10 years old, but we visited campus often and went to basketball games. 

Those in my family who attended UD studied education, so me majoring in premed, with a minor in biology, to become a veterinarian was a subversive decision. But, my family and UD have always been supportive of my passions. 

I might not be a star basketball and football player like my great-grandfather (Jerry Westendorf ’43) or homecoming queen like my great-grandmother (Pauline Zink Westendorf ’43), but I’ve taken a different route to explore what I love. I’m involved in the UD Emergency Medical Services, Outdoor Adventure Club, the Equestrian Club to broaden my experience in my desired field. 

I’m a fourth-generation Flyer, which is clear to see at our family reunions. My Uncle Tom Westendorf ’78 was registrar at UD for many years and owns a barn not far from campus. Each Christmas, he hosts “Christmas in the Barn” where we celebrate Christmas Mass. The bales of hay serve as the altar and the sheep stand by. The whole family attends, including the more than 30 of us who went to Dayton or are currently working at UD. It’s a point of connection for all of us, and it’s a great way to reconnect with the extended family I haven’t seen in a while. 

A lot has changed since the last generation was on campus, but it seems like UD’s sense of community and the strength of its academics hasn’t really changed.

It’s also cool how most of the buildings are the same, like my dad lived in Marycrest, like some of my closest friends (I lived in Stuart). He then lived on Brown Street with 10 other guys. This is probably not allowed, but they had a hot tub in their basement. His face always lights up when he recalls his house, and I feel the same connection to my own on Kiefaber Street. We always have random people on our porch, and those are going to be some of my favorite memories from my time here. 

For Family Weekends, it’s usually my mom, dad (Jerry Westendorf ’00) and sister, and sometimes my grandparents Mark Westendorf ’74 and Mary Tom Westendorf will come down. During other visits, my parents might be the only adults at an event, but everybody is talking to them. Students love it when alumni visit. The alumni just get it. 

When I graduate in the spring, I will be living with family in Montana for the summer and then starting veterinary school in the fall, but I know I’ll always have my connection to UD. Whenever I travel, I talk about Dayton, and it’s surprising how many people know our relatively small school. It’s a great honor to be a part of a four-generation Flyers legacy, and I hope that my kids come here, too. If I could stay here longer, I would. 

As told to Elizabeth Krahe ’27