By Brooke Stollsteimer
Correspondent
Sidewalk bricks on campus often get overlooked as busy college students rush by and walk over them daily.
This is the opposite for the College’s Alumni Grove. Filled with dedicated bricks from previous students, the Grove features names written out alongside their graduation year and organizations. Alumni Grove is a special place for all current and former students.
Alumni of all ages and graduation years find the College’s Grove to be a spot on campus that they always remember.
“Ever since I committed in 2021, I intended on purchasing a brick,” said Alex Forton, ’25. “It was super cool to see names of alumni who graduated decades ago, and I knew I wanted to be a part of that.”
Located in the middle of campus, the Grove has become a spot for students to study, eat, meet with friends and soak in the school’s history. The area is used by the entire campus community, and over 2,300 personalized bricks have been purchased for placement.
The College encourages students to leave a “lasting and unchanging legacy of your own,” as stated on the brick website. Students can engrave their names, short sayings, memorial commemorations, Greek letters and the College’s logo. Those who purchase bricks also receive a free mini brick replica, so alumni can always have their brick with them.
“I had my name, class year and some notable student organizations that shaped my college experience engraved,” Forton said. “The College has given so much to me, and I love to keep my brick replica on my desk every day to remind myself of the good times I had in college.”
Meaghan Dohan, ‘01, believes that it is extremely important to leave your mark on campus, whether through a brick at Alumni Grove or through your work during college.
“I saw the bricks the year prior when I came to TCNJ homecoming for [my daughter], and what inspired me was that I saw two bricks side-by-side, for a husband and a wife,” Dohan said. “It was so cute, and I looked at my husband and started thinking about it.”
Dohan was involved in Kappa Delta and Residential Education and Housing as a community advisor throughout her time at the College. She said she feels those organizations made her time at the College special. Dohan’s father attended the College before her, and she also met her husband at the College. Her daughter now attends the College as well.
“My father had joked about him starting a TCNJ dynasty, and it hit me around Father’s Day that it would be a great gift for him and my husband,” she said.
Current students often think about leaving a lasting mark in Alumni Grove as well.
“I remember when I was visiting TCNJ in high school, I saw the Alumni Grove bricks and always loved the idea of them,” said Maura Gathercole, a junior art education major. “I think that purchasing a brick is a meaningful way to celebrate your time in college, and I definitely would love to buy a brick before graduating.”
The College’s Brick Campaign not only provides a lasting legacy for students. According to its website, purchasing a brick benefits programming for the College’s community. By adding their name to the distinguished list of Alumni who own bricks, students can also continue to support the College and its programming efforts post-graduation.
On the College’s website, students can also locate bricks by name or graduation year. Through this locator, students can admire bricks bought by their friends who have graduated, or alumni can look at their bricks without visiting Alumni Grove in person.
“I encourage people to purchase a brick because you are able to be a part of TCNJ’s history,” Forton said. “For some, it’s a physical representation of one’s accomplishments.”
