Wildcat Family

Packing our resumes with activities we may or may not have actually been interested in, staying up many nights to get good grades, cramming for the SAT, realizing we should probably take the ACT too and writing about ourselves over and over again gave us the opportunity to come to Northwestern.

Despite all the hard work, most decide where they attend school by looking at proximity or distance from home, finances, or the availability of a particular degree. There is one thing most prospective Northwestern students don’t have to think about — professor parents. For those who do, having someone who once changed your diapers also teach at a top-tier university you attend can lead to some delightfully unique situations.

“Nick Offerman and my dad were really good friends in the ‘90s,” Godinez says. “They did shows together, they were roommates. So when Nick came here, he asked the whole crowd, ‘Does Henry Godinez still work here?’ Then he said something along the lines of, ‘Is he still ripped? Because that dude almost turned me gay!’”

“Freshman year and entering into college, I thought it was going to be a hindrance and really annoying [to go to her dad’s school],” Jona says. “But over the last four years, it’s really become such a source of strength and comfort and it’s been amazing having my family so close.”