Bonds made in college can last a lifetime. After surviving four years of blood, sweat, tears and beers, college buddies may even begin to feel like family. Those in the Greek system ultimately acquire a house full of new "brothers" and "sisters" with whom they share their college years. Some students, however, experience their days at U.Va. with a brother or sister that shares a bond not of Greek letters, but of DNA.
"There's no downside," third-year College student Daniel Park said about being at the University with his younger brother, second-year College student Brian Park.
In fact, Brian and Daniel have wanted to go through college together since they were very small.
"We both wanted to go here since we were little," Daniel said. "We both applied early."
Siblings fourth-year College student Virginia Ridenour and second-year Engineering School student Ben Ridenour also seem to have had blue and orange running through their veins from a young age.
"Both of our parents went to U.Va.," Virginia said, "and there's another brother in line to go here."
Having an older sibling who has tested the waters at a college can be useful as the younger sibling makes that big senior-year decision. Brian said Daniel's positive experiences at U.Va. helped him to be sure of his choice.
Additionally, visiting their older siblings gave both Brian and Ben a chance to see a sneak preview of what they might expect at U.Va.
"I came and stayed with Virginia to help decide," Ben said, adding that he remembers Virginia putting some pressure on him to come to the University.
"She said if I went to Tech I'd be dead to her," Ben joked.
Ultimately though, he said, it was his own decision.
If older siblings are a resource for their college-bound brothers and sisters, they continue to be just as helpful once both siblings are living the collegiate life. Ben and Brian both said one of the greatest benefits of going to school with their sibling is the amount of guidance and advice their older sib provides.
Ben said he frequently turns to Virginia with questions and requests for advice.
"She's a great resource and a great friend," he said.
Virginia said she's been able to help Ben with such things as picking classes and going through the fraternity rush process.
"He's taking some classes I've recommended," she said.
Her upperclassmen friends have been another resource to Ben. "Some of my Engineering school friends were able to help him when he was choosing a major," she said.
Ben also noted that he is glad to be geographically closer to Virginia these days, because he finds long distance relationships difficult to maintain.
"It's hard to talk to you sister when she's 2 1/2 hours away," he said, "so being away was hard."
Now that Ben and Virginia both are in Charlottesville, however, they are able to meet in person for lunch frequently.
Similarly, Brian said he turns to his older sibling for advice.
"He'll honestly answer any question I ask him," Brian said. "I talk to him about decisions I have to make about classes, bills, life."
The advice flows both ways between Brian and Daniel, however.
"I trust his advice, and he trusts mine," Brian said.
Brian and Daniel Park also share friends.
"I get to see him a lot because we have mutual friends," said Daniel.
To Brian, having shared groups of friends was only "natural."
"We're similar people," he said, "so our friends are naturally similar types of people."
On the other hand, Ben said he and his sister Virginia are not as alike.
"My sister and I have opposite personalities," he said. "She parties more than I do."
Despite the social differences between Ben and his sister, he has formed some friendships through his relationship with her.
"I became friends with some of her acquaintances from her apartment building," he said.
Family resemblance provides another way of meeting new people for both Ben and Brian. Ben said he looks so much like Virginia that often her friends will know who he is before he has met them.
"A lot of times people that know Virginia will come up to me and say, 'I know you from somewhere,'" he said.
Daniel says his friends have experienced confusion between himself and younger brother Brian. He recounted one humorous incident, which involved a friend of his picking up Brian as he walked to class and giving him a ride, thinking all the while that it was Daniel for whom he was doing the favor.
Additionally, Daniel said, "people have had extended conversations with him thinking it was me."
As both pairs look past graduation from U.Va., they joke about their futures as brother and sister, and brother and brother.
"We laugh about our kids hanging out," Virginia said.
Daniel and Brian have a slightly different prediction for their relationship.
"He's thinking about going to law school, and I'm a pre-med," Daniel said. "So I told him he can be my malpractice lawyer."
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