Kent State siblings take advantage of time away from home to bond

College is a perfect opportunity for many students to get away from it all — including family.

But leaving home to attend Kent State only brought sisters Megan and Lauren Wombacker closer.

Megan, senior accounting major, came to Kent State for its business program and the opportunity to live in a learning community her freshman year. When it was time for Lauren, freshman business major, to make her college decision, Megan helped out.

“She really told me a lot of good things about Kent State, especially about the business program,” she said.

Because the sisters come from a family with seven children, they love having each other around.

“I absolutely love having my sister at school with me,” Megan said in an e-mail interview. “She is my best friend and the only person who truly understands what it is like to have nine people in our family.”

The Wombacker sisters spend a large amount of their time together during the week.

“Usually we go to the gym together every day,” Lauren said in an e-mail interview. “And sometimes we do stuff on the weekends.”

Aside from working out, the sisters have other favorite hobbies.

“We mainly go to the rec,” Megan said. “Otherwise, we spend time going shopping. We share the shop-aholic gene in our family.”

Contrary to what one might expect, the Wombackers have never hated being at the same school; in fact, they say it makes things more convenient at times.

“Although we do not live together, it does make things easier when I have a problem or I need someone to go to,” Lauren said. “Plus, I usually always have a ride home.”

One thing the sisters don’t do is gossip about each other to their parents.

“I tattled more on Lauren when we were in high school,” Megan said. “She is an adult now and can handle her own problems. College is a time to have freedom and experiment with life, and fortunately I haven’t had to deal with any unnecessary behavior to report to our parents. Plus, my mother and father have five other children at home they have to worry about. If she does something wrong, I let her know about it.”

Both sisters said they get advice and guidance from each other, especially since both are in business-related majors.

“I ask her advice about classes to take,” Lauren said.

Megan gets advice from Lauren as well.

“Lauren gives me the most guidance and advice when it comes to having faith,” Megan said. “She’s very spiritual and I look to her for her opinions and views.”

The sisters think going to the same college has brought them closer.

“Lauren coming to Kent State this year has most definitely brought us closer together,” Megan said. “When I lived at home I shared a room with a different sister, so Lauren and I didn’t really get the bonding time. But when she came here, she became my automatic best friend and closest sister.”

The fact that they’re at the same school is reassuring to their parents, too.

“I think my parents are happy that we attend the same college so that we can look out for each other,” Megan said. “I’ve been extremely successful at Kent so far and they are happy that Lauren is attending a university with the opportunities that I have encountered.”

The sisters also offered advice to other students who may have a sibling on campus.

“Just try to keep an open mind about the new decisions your sibling may make in college,” Lauren said. “Remember they will always be your sibling.”

“My advice to other siblings on campus would be to embrace the opportunities you can share together,” Megan said. “Soon enough, we will be gone from this place and maybe hundreds of miles away from our families. Make memories that will last a lifetime. Blood is thicker than water and siblings are the greatest blessings on earth.”

Contact features reporter Meredith Compton at [email protected].