While every Badger walking the stage at graduation has a story as unique as the next, one family will be seeing its graduates in triple.
As they prepare for graduation in May, triplets Kyle, Stephanie and Ashley Verhasselt fondly remember their time at the University of Wisconsin together. Kyle, Stephanie and Ashley grew up with their parents and younger brother Adam, a junior at UW, on a farm in Freedom, Wis. – an experience Kyle said fostered a sense of responsibility and a strong work ethic.
The Verhasselts are first-generation college students but said they had always planned to go to college for as long as they could remember. Stephanie said their parents did not force them to go to any particular school, but promoted a sense of competition, pushing each to do well for him or herself.
They expressed deep appreciation for their strong, supportive family, and said they see their parents, who are “always looking for an excuse to come to Madison,” fairly often.
Although the three were born one minute apart and have remained close throughout their years at UW, each has a distinct personality and chosen life path.
Kyle, a real estate major in the UW School of Business, will be working for G.E. Capital after graduation and hopes to travel, especially to big cities. His sisters describe him as a “city boy,” who is outgoing, sociable and confident.
Stephanie, the oldest of the three, began her studies at UW-Fox Valley and transferred to UW her junior year to join her siblings and study social welfare, a fitting major for a caring individual, as her siblings described her.
Ashley is a biology student and will be attending Wisconsin Medical College in Milwaukee in the fall. Characterized by her siblings as the “studious, straight-laced and motivated” sister, Ashley said she has wanted to be a doctor since coming in freshman year as a pre-med student and sticking with the program for four years.
The sisters hope to someday live close to the home where they grew up. Regardless, all the siblings are confident that they will remain in touch.
Their decision to come to UW was an easy one, all three said. When asked about their greatest memory from their time in Madison, none could cite only one to encapsulate their past four years.
“No matter where you go, you say you’re from Wisconsin and people remember that,” Kyle said, citing experiences ranging from friendships and football games to connections across campus as the memories he will treasure after graduation.
Ashley said she appreciated meeting people from all different backgrounds during her years on campus. Coming from a small town, she has enjoyed the opportunity to expand her horizons and will continue to do so while in medical school in Milwaukee.
Although Stephanie transferred to UW as a junior, she will remember those lasting friendships she made in her two years.
“Growing up being a triplet was neat–being able to share many similar experiences,” Kyle said. “But the one we’ll remember the most and be most proud of is having the opportunity to attend Wisconsin together, no matter where life takes us.”
