Paths crossed and continued
There is no bond more special than that of two Flyers who, despite being from different cultures, norms and places, find each other. My parents shared this experience — meeting at the University of Dayton and starting a life together.
Little did I know I would follow right after them.
My dad, Nelson De Jesus ’02, is from the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, and when he visited Dayton with his high school classmates from Colegio San José in Río Piedras as prospective Flyers, he didn’t know what to expect. The moment he stepped off the plane, the feel-good feeling of palm trees, tropical beaches and the smell of fresh chuletas y arroz con gandules of his home, transformed into the beautiful blue dome of the Chapel, the brick-lined buildings and the welcoming spirit of the students.
It was here that he saw kids his age building lifelong friendships while balancing fun and purpose.
When he was looking at schools, he realized Dayton offered the perfect blend: a strong academic reputation, a rigorous business program and a strong sense of community like the one he had back home. Most of all, he found familiarity in diversity through the Latin American Student Association, which gave him a piece of Puerto Rico far from home.
Through creating friendships with all different students of Latin descent or dancing at Merengue Nights at Kennedy Union, it was safe to say he found everything he was looking for.
Meanwhile, my mom, Angela Wagner De Jesus ’02, found her own sense of belonging the second she arrived on campus. Growing up in Sandusky, Ohio, she wanted to stay relatively close to home. During the spring of her junior year in high school, she visited and was automatically drawn in by the blossoming cherry trees, the energy of the student neighborhood and the very same beautiful blue dome of the Chapel that had greeted my dad.
She rushed a sorority, Pi Beta Pi, and found her best friends almost immediately. She truly found everything she was hoping for: independence, a good work ethic and friendships that would only continue to grow.
However, during an Operations Management class, fate showed them that they were still missing something important. They were placed at the same table. They talked and, like the cherry trees my mom had seen on her visit to campus, their relationship blossomed. They had coffee dates at Kennedy Union and shared gym routines at the RecPlex. And just like that, what began as casual conversations during class transitioned into a union that lasted beyond graduation.
I never quite understood how much UD played a role in their lives until I stepped on campus as a student. Even after visiting Dayton multiple times during my childhood, I never felt that same warmth. Only after I had found my people, started enjoying what I was studying and discovered both the independence and community I had sought did I realize what made UD so special.
My parents’ wishes for me were straightforward:
- Have life experiences that prepare you for the next step in life
- Look back and have fond memories of your college years
My parents were my greatest influence in coming to UD. Not only did they carry with them prestigious business degrees, but also the welcoming, hardworking and radiant spirit of the UD community.
No matter how different the places they came from, they had one thing in common: they loved being Flyers. Now I share that very same love with my own unique experiences –– and all alongside the same Chapel, greeting me on the horizon.
Photos courtesy of Nelson De Jesus '02.