Brooke Jameson ’19 never planned to join the Bentley family, but as soon as she visited campus she knew it was home. She follows in the footsteps of her parents, Ed ’85 and Megan (Zielinski) ’85.
“That’s smooth, Dad!” Brooke is surprised, hearing Ed’s story of meeting Megan in auditing class during their senior year. He reports that his now-wife asked if the adjacent seat was taken, and he boldly invited: “It is now.”
As it unfolds, the tale gets more and more fuzzy. Was it actually geology class? Had the two met once before? Did Ed register for auditing just to get closer to Megan? The details are less important than the result: a tight-knit family of Falcons who continues to be impressed by their shared alma mater.
Each family member started with some knowledge of Bentley but forged an individual path once on campus. In Ed’s case, the connection was his father, Gordon ’63, who had taught him to prepare tax returns at age 16. It felt natural to pursue his own accounting degree at Bentley, while working for the family business, which Ed now owns. Megan likewise wanted to study accounting; her sister, Pauline ’76, pointed the way to Bentley.
Their daughter was not inclined to follow suit.
“I told my parents there was no way I would attend Bentley just because they did,” says Brooke, a competitive swimmer who was sizing up schools based on academics and athletic opportunities. She finally agreed to attend an information session and swim-recruiting weekend at the university. It immediately felt like home and Brooke canceled the rest of her recruiting trips. And now? “My favorite spot on campus is the pool with my swim-team family.”
A Marketing major with a minor in Information Design and Corporate Communication, Brooke is considering her career options. Ed and Megan are encouraged by Bentley’s strong placement record. The competition for jobs is tougher now than when they graduated, but they know Brooke will be well served by her education. Says Ed: “I really have a complete respect for the way that the school has grown with the times.”