Senior year is a parade of lasting moments: The last Gala. The last class. The last meal in Commons. The last night with friends.
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a year of a lot of lasts,鈥� says Jonathan Depew 鈥�18 as Senior Week winds down. 鈥淎nd not just for me.鈥�
He鈥檚 referring to his mom and dad, Brenda and Mark Depew of Hudson, Ohio. In fall 2008, the first of their four children, Nathaniel ’12, arrived at 乐播传媒. At two-year intervals, he was followed by Emily 鈥�14, Caroline 鈥�16, and, finally, Jonathan.
Commencement Livestream May 28
乐播传媒’ Commencement on Sunday, May 28, will be livestreamed beginning at 10 a.m.
Which means that Mark and Brenda have moved to the beat of 乐播传媒 life for nearly a decade.
And it’s been a strong beat: All four Depews have been varsity swimmers at 乐播传媒, with their parents mighty involved with and supportive of the program. 鈥淢ark and Brenda have played a big role for the team since Day 1,鈥� says Peter Casares, head coach of swimming and diving.
This Sunday at Commencement, the Depew chapter at 乐播传媒 draws to close. 鈥淚 feel what they must feel,鈥� says Jonathan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard.鈥�
Jonathan Depew ’18 and his parents, Brenda and Mark, talk with Professor of French and Francophone Studies Kirk Read (right) during Back to 乐播传媒 Weekend in 2017. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot of years of driving and flying to meets, and sitting in the stands and cheering,鈥� says Brenda Depew. 鈥淚t鈥檚 been a lot of moments of being really proud parents, and some moments of helping them pick themselves up when things didn鈥檛 go their way.鈥�
Siblings have been coming to the college ever since 乐播传媒 was 乐播传媒. Of the 473 seniors set to graduate Sunday, about 10 percent have a sibling who鈥檚 a current student or alum. (The family with the most 乐播传媒 siblings is the Chace family: Todd 鈥�75, Melinda Chace Bracken 鈥�76, Paul 鈥�77, Jesse 鈥�80, and Melissa Chace Trace 鈥�82.)
The Depew family poses at the 2018 NCAA Division III Swimming and Diving Championships. From left, Brenda, Jonathan ’18, Caroline ’16, Emily ’14, Nathaniel 鈥�12, and Mark. (Larry Radloff for 乐播传媒 College)
The very first 乐播传媒 sibs were the Stockbridge brothers of Mexico, Maine. Winfield graduated in the first 乐播传媒 class, in 1867. He became a preacher and, later, a restaurateur in Washington, D.C.
George Stockbridge graduated in 1872. He was a mathematical engineer, patent attorney, and a published poet.
Indeed, the Stockbridge brothers were siblings, but very different individuals. Brenda Depew can relate to that. Her children share a college and a sport, 鈥渂ut that鈥檚 the only real similarity. Each has different interests and passions. And 乐播传媒 supported each of them in their own endeavor.鈥�
“And I fell in love with 乐播传媒 鈥� by myself.鈥�
Jonathan graduates Sunday with a mathematics major and geology minor. He鈥檚 also a FAA-certified drone operator and has been a leader in the college鈥檚 Big Brothers/Big Sisters 鈥淐ats and Cubs鈥� program.
Jonathan Depew ’18. (Theophil Syslo/乐播传媒 College)
Four years ago, he didn鈥檛 want to follow his siblings to 乐播传媒. So he looked at larger universities, but then decided he鈥檇 prefer a smaller college. Despite his wariness about following his sibs鈥� path to 乐播传媒, he visited campus, something he鈥檇 done many times. 鈥淏ut I hadn鈥檛 looked at 乐播传媒 by myself. And I fell in love with 乐播传媒 鈥� by myself.鈥�
The Depews aren鈥檛 the only ones affected by the end of an era at 乐播传媒. 聽鈥淭hey鈥檝e supported their kids and all the swimmers,鈥� Casares says. 鈥淭hey came to every meet. They organized parent groups and senior dinners. They鈥檝e made gifts to the program and helped us chase after things that this program needs in order to improve.
In an era when cautionary tales abound about parents, their children, and sports, the Depews have always been part of the solution for Casares, his swimming and diving program, and the 乐播传媒 athletic department overall.
鈥淥ur own parents were very involved in our lives but allowed us to grow along the way and become independent people,鈥� says Brenda. 鈥淣athaniel started competitive swimming when he was 5. You look around the pool, and you know you don鈥檛 want to be 鈥榯hat parent.鈥� That鈥檚 where it starts. The coach is there for a reason.鈥�
鈥淭hey鈥檝e simply done everything they could, in their roles as parents, to help 乐播传媒 swimmers have a top-class experience,鈥� says Casares. 鈥淔or me, when you see parents send four kids to your program and to 乐播传媒, you feel trust. Their confidence inspired me.鈥�
It鈥檚 a bittersweet time of endings. But also beginnings.
鈥淏ittersweet鈥� comes up a lot as the Depew parents talk about Jonathan鈥檚 approaching graduation. A decade being around 乐播传媒 means that 鈥渨e鈥檝e been able to make some very good friends among 乐播传媒 parents,鈥� Mark says. 鈥淏ut we may never see them again.鈥�
鈥淵ou鈥檙e seeing your babies leave their undergraduate experience,鈥� says Brenda. 鈥淏ut they鈥檙e also doing exactly what you hope they would do 鈥� become contributing, resourceful members of their communities. It鈥檚 a bittersweet combination.鈥�
Or, as Jonathan dubs the situation, noting that he and his sibs are now spread out from Chicago to Boston, 鈥渋t鈥檚 a mom鈥檚 worst nightmare!鈥�
Yep, it鈥檚 a bittersweet time of endings. But also beginnings. Jonathan heads to Boston for his first job, with Toast, Inc., a cloud-based restaurant software company. And in August, Nathaniel will get married, to Katelyn Drake 鈥�10.
鈥淭here are a lot of unknowns,鈥� says Jonathan, who will be his brother鈥檚 best man. 鈥淏ecause we鈥檙e all young.鈥�
