Okay Team, this post might really feel like a stretch, but I’d love for you to entertain this random thought I had at four in the morning when I couldn’t fall back to sleep. It started with my thinking about how impressed I’ve been with the college our high school senior is going to be attending this fall.

As we share the news with friends and family and receive correspondence from the university, I’ve been blown away by how much everyone seems to absolutely adore this school.

The only explanation I could come up with in the middle of the night is the culture they’ve created there—the kind of school spirit that makes people genuinely love being part of that place. School spirit isn’t just a suggestion, it’s a requirement for membership. Before a student even attends the university, Penn State is radiating the message that Happy Valley, Pennsylvania is a place that you’re going to absolutely love.

I began to think about how this could be applied to a family. I can look to colleges who have mastered school spirit and apply that same enthusiasm to our TeamDe family. If school spirit is about passion, loyalty, pride, and a sense of belonging—aren’t those the exact nouns I want to foster on our team campus? 

This connection makes sense to me ‘cause it supports so much of what I’ve tried to do in these quick eighteen years we have with the little twerps. I want the kids to feel great about their time at DePetrisU. I want them to reminisce about the memories created here with the six of us, our extended family, and our friends. My hope is that they’ll root for each other and stick together through the tough seasons and winning seasons. And I also want them to know that, once they graduate, their student ID is no longer valid at the residence hall. 

I’m sure it’s no coincidence that I’ve been calling us TeamDe since the beginning. While we don’t have school colors, and we’re missing a fight song, I want our children to have that same warm college pride feeling when they return to our school grounds. The feeling that this place set them on a beautiful path. And, while TeamDe alumni are always welcome back for a visit… think, overnight bags, kids—not boxes. It’s just more of a pop-in-and-say-hello campus model, you understand.

How about you guys—when your kids graduate from your house, what do you hope they’ll remember most? I’d love to hear from you in the comment section below.

Next week we’ll be chatting about the shift from surviving to thriving. Please tune in for that—and thanks so much for listening, Team!