Rooted in Connection: The Wildcat Family Tree

Attending college is a significant milestone for any student, but for many, enrolling at Chico State is both a personal achievement and a family tradition. From parents and grandparents to aunts, cousins, and siblings, the University has played a consistent role in the lives of hundreds of families with generations of Wildcats in their lineage.

Jeff Logsdon (Civil Engineering, ’12) knows firsthand how strong the affinity can be to one’s alma mater, particularly when you share that experience with family. He, his younger brother, and his uncle are alumni.

Today, as the associate director of Admissions at Chico State, Logsdon also witnesses the impact of this tradition with prospective students on a near-daily basis. During campus tours, the connection for alumni visiting with their children or grandchildren is unmistakable, he said.

“I see the admiration in their eyes and hear the giddiness in the voices—particularly the dads,” he said.

Family members want to tell the potential Wildcat all about their favorite spots on campus, the buildings that housed their classes, and study sessions in the library, Logsdon said. For students who follow in a loved one’s footsteps, it often provides a sense of belonging and community before their first day of class. This shared experience connects the past, present, and future for these families.

Of course, Logsdon said, having multiple family members earn one or more degrees from Chico State also serves as proof of the academic quality and lasting power of the University.

“Alumni have found success in their careers, and that is why families trust us and are comfortable enough to send their children here,” he said. “Is there higher praise than that?”

The following stories are about families rooted in the University. You’ll read about how a father’s encouragement led to his 10 children earning degrees; an athletic team with a long roster of siblings; a love story that took root in college; a mother and son who followed their passion together; identical twins who supported one another’s growth and found ways to thrive as unique individuals; and five siblings fulfilling their father’s dream. For these families—and more than 177,000 alumni—Chico State is not just a university or campus. It is the branches of the family tree.

The most common path for a student arriving at Chico State is directly from high school or transferring from a community college—rare is the student with years between high school or stints on a college campus. Yet, each semester, dozens of students enroll with such a story.

Read about some of our Wildcat families:

Mother, Son Turned Classmates Learn from Each Other

 

 

 

Five Siblings Follow Father’s Dream

 

 

 

Pitch-Perfect Wildcats

 

 

 

Crossed Paths Lead Back to Chico

 

 

 

Degrees of Hope and Opportunity

 

 

 

Identical Twins Follow Different Dreams

 

 

 

We encourage alumni and Wildcats on campus to share their Chico State family tree story! Email ucomm@csuchico.edu