Jean and Bob Littner ’53 (center), Wendy Littner Thomson ’83 ’84G ’08G (far right), David Thomson ’83 ’84G (upper left), Sarah Thomson ’13 (far left), and Abby Thomson ’18 (upper right).

Lehigh Reunion holds a special meaning for me and my family. With our family having three generations of Lehigh graduates — Bob Littner ’53 (grandfather), Wendy Thomson ’83 (mom), Dave Thomson ’83 (dad), Abigail Thomson ’18 (sister), and me — all graduating on years ending in “3” and “8”, “Lehigh Reunion” is synonymous with “family reunion”.

In honor of my sister Abby, who is a psychology major and member of the Lehigh Women’s Varsity Swimming and Diving team, her upcoming graduation in May, and her official welcome into the alumni family, I wanted to capture our diverse (and yet very similar) experiences on our favorite college campus.

With what has become our family tradition, what does it mean to be joining the Lehigh alumni family?

AT: I’m very excited to become part of the Lehigh alumni family, and it is even more special to me because I am able to share this experience with many of my family members. We are naturally very close as a family, but being a “Lehigh family” adds an extra special bond — we really do bleed brown and white. I think it will feel a bit surreal to have so many members of our family all linked through the Lehigh college experience. It isn’t something you come across everyday and it certainly something special.

Besides following your favorite big sister, what motivated you to apply to Lehigh? What do you remember about receiving your acceptance letter?

AT: Lehigh is a family — one that I have been a part of ever since I was born. I love the culture, the opportunity, and the institution that Lehigh stands for. I wanted be a full member of the Lehigh family by completing my four years of undergraduate coursework at an institution where I would be able to balance academic excellence and a Division I sport.

We were both raised with South Mountain in our home. What is the earliest Lehigh memory that you can recall?

AT: My first memory of Lehigh is none other than the infamous Lehigh-Lafayette Rivalry football game. I must have been around age six years-old when our family hosted a tailgate at Goodman Stadium before a Leh-Laf football game and you were probably about age 11 at the time, and we were dressed up in Lehigh cheerleading outfits as we ran around everywhere playing games, eating food, and getting into that “rivalry spirit”. The energy was high as the Marching 97 stormed through the parking lot and people chanted. Not that I remember much about the game over a decade later, but it was one of those moments that you just can’t forget.

If you had to pick one Lehigh tradition, which one would you say is your favorite?

AT: The Lehigh-Lafayette rivalry is my favorite Lehigh tradition. I don’t think that I’ve missed a single Leh-Laf football game since I was a really little kid. This event is such a hype-up for the holiday season for me, our family, and I’m sure, tons of other people as well.

What is your favorite spot on campus?

AT: My favorite spot on campus is so typical, but obviously, the rotunda in Linderman Library. There’s no better place to be studying mid-afternoon when the light shines just right through the windows of the rotunda. The aesthetics are by far my favorite part. No wonder it’s such a staple of the university.

How about off-campus?

AT: I’d have to say that Saxby’s is my favorite off-campus spot to do a lot of my academic and non-academic related activities. Not only is it my favorite spot for my morning coffee during the week, but also some of my best Sunday memories happened at Saxby’s when dad and I caught up over coffee.

What is your favorite course at Lehigh?

AT: My favorite class at Lehigh was Health Care Reasoning and Decision Making taught in the psychology department. This course taught me a lot about cognitive psychology and health care making me even more interested in becoming a practicing health care professional. I felt like I built a positive relationship with my professor and was able to learn so much from her. This class really explained a lot of human behaviors that I encounter on a daily basis and I feel like I gained an entirely new perspective from taking this course.

Can you sum up what Lehigh means to you in 10 words or less?

AT: Lehigh is a legacy, a network, and a family.

Thinking ahead, what do you envision Reunion 2023 will be like as your first Reunion as an alumna and first Reunion with the entire family?

AT: I think that Reunion 2023 will be a unique experience for me as I’ll be celebrating Lehigh with my family. It should be exciting to be with my family and Lehigh friends at Reunion and it’s definitely something to look forward to.