When Kyle Atkinson decided to move 150 miles away from his hometown of Baldwinsville, to study electrical engineering at Clarkson University, he didn’t realize all three of his younger siblings would follow similar paths.
Now the four brothers and sisters — Kyle ‘17, Brooke ‘19, Emma ‘19 and Kevin ‘20 — are together on campus.
“It’s nice to have family close, but not so close that I don’t have to see them if I don’t want to,” Brooke Atkinson said. “And it makes Family Weekend easier.”
Kyle Atkinson said he first learned about Clarkson from his dad, who had worked for Lockheed Martin and used to recruit many graduates from the University. When he decided to major in electrical engineering, Clarkson was the perfect fit.
“Once I visited campus, I really liked it here,” he said.
Twins Brooke and Emma Atkinson are studying chemical engineering and digital arts and sciences, respectively, and chose last year to attend Clarkson because they were both impressed with the academic programs.
“I got to talk to the professors before I came here and learn about the program, and I liked what was going on here more than any other school,” Emma Atkinson said.
Inspired by the opportunities his siblings experienced at Clarkson, Kevin Atkinson made the same decision as his brother four years ago and enrolled as an electrical engineering student this fall.
“I don’t think I chose to come to Clarkson because my family was here,” Brooke Atkinson said. “It just happened to work out that we all enjoyed this school.”
“College is big enough that we don’t have to see each other every day,” Kevin Atkinson added.
Although they don’t spend every day together, the siblings are united in their support for the swim team. Kyle Atkinson is one of the senior captains this season, which began in October, and Brooke and Kevin Atkinson also are on the team.
While Emma Atkinson is taking a break from swimming this season, she will be at the home meets cheering on her brothers and sister.
Mick Maguire, assistant athletic director and head men’s and women’s swimming coach, said it is rare to have this many siblings on the team at the same time. On a team of about 40 students, the Atkinsons make up 10 percent of the team.
Maguire said the students are always supportive of one another, and he looks forward to coaching the Atkinsons and the rest of the team through another successful season.
“We lost a good group of seniors last year, but we have a strong group of freshmen,” Maguire said. “We’re always looking to be at the top of the Liberty League.”
Clarkson University educates the leaders of the global economy. One in five alumni already leads as an owner, CEO, VP or equivalent senior executive of a company. With its main campus located in Potsdam, and additional graduate program and research facilities in the Capital Region and Beacon, New York, Clarkson is a nationally recognized research university with signature areas of academic excellence and research directed toward the world’s pressing issues.
Through more than 50 rigorous programs of study in engineering, business, arts, education, sciences and the health professions, the entire learning-living community spans boundaries across disciplines, nations and cultures to build powers of observation, challenge the status quo, and connect discovery and innovation with enterprise.
