Home Away From Home: Celebrating Four-Year Roommates

At William & Mary, some first-year roommate pairings become part of a student’s story for all four years.

Each spring, the university recognizes students who have lived with their first-year roommate for all four years. This tradition that celebrates the friendships, routines and shared experiences that often begin in residence halls and become central to a student’s time at W&M.

This year, 68 students registered for the celebration, sharing stories of roommate relationships that began in a variety of ways: through chance assignments, Instagram messages, admitted student events and friendships that started long before Williamsburg.

“Most people have others living with them that they can lean on. Having the same people all four years adds a consistency that is very special,” said Andy Lumelleau ’26, who lived with Jack Schmatz ’26 throughout college.

On April 21, Residence Life and the Residence Hall Association hosted a reception in Oak Hall for four-year roommates to take photos, reconnect and hear remarks from President Katherine A. Rowe and Residence Hall Association President Brandon DeRosa. The tradition dates back to former William & Mary President Timothy J. Sullivan ’66, who began recognizing long-term roommates as a way to celebrate the enduring friendships formed through campus living.

For many students, the event offered a moment to reflect before graduation on the relationships that helped make W&M feel like home. Justin Eng ’26 and Ethan Chan ’26 used the celebration to catch up with other roommate pairs from their first-year residence hall, Nicholson. On their close-knit floor, four of the nine roommate pairs stayed together all four years.

Other four-year roommates reflected on how ordinary first meetings grew into lasting friendships.

Sarah McDonald ’26 and Erin Collins ’26 first connected on Instagram through the Class of 2026 page. They later ran into each other during Day for Admitted Students — a chance meeting Sarah still remembers clearly.

After receiving a photo of Erin’s outfit, Sarah spotted her across the crowd.

“I spotted her out of the corner of my eye,” Sarah said. “I feel like it was honestly fate we met. If I had been five minutes earlier or later, I would not have met her.”

The two became best friends in their first-year residence hall, Lemon Hall, and continued living together throughout their time at W&M. For Sarah, the key to making the roommate relationship work was finding the right balance between closeness and independence.

“Erin and I are not the same major or in any of the same clubs, which made our relationship really healthy because there was no competition and we had space,” Sarah said. “It made coming home more special because we'd been apart all day. But we also love a lot of the same things and connect so well, which makes our time together so fun.”

Looking back, Sarah said the reception gave her time to reflect on “how much we have changed, matured and developed.”

For James McCormack ’26 and Jacob Ettinger ’26, the story began long before move-in day. The two met in middle school and had at least one class together every year since — including their four years at William & Mary.

Despite their long friendship, both applied to and accepted admission to William & Mary without telling the other person. Once they discovered they were both headed to Williamsburg, they decided to become roommates. Living together gave them a constant connection to New York, especially during moments when they missed home.

“No matter what, I've had a support figure to turn to,” James said. “Consistency in one's living space is essential for good mental health and success at William & Mary.”

Their friendship continued to grow as upperclassmen when both worked as intramural supervisors, with one or both of them officiating nearly every intramural game in the past year.

“Intramurals has been my favorite part of college, and getting to do it with my lifelong friend makes it that much better,” James said.

Whether students arrived as longtime friends, connected before move-in or met for the first time through the roommate process, many four-year roommate pairs described their living arrangement as one of the defining parts of their college experience.

That perspective may be timely for incoming students preparing for room selection. Residence Life staff recently shared that about half of new students enter the process without a roommate pre-selected — a reminder that there is no single path to finding a roommate at W&M.

Students who lived with the same roommate for four years offered similar advice: be honest, be open and allow the relationship to grow.

“Choose someone both similar and different from you,” one student advised. Another encouraged students to “be honest with yourself about your habits.”

Others encouraged new students not to put too much pressure on the process.

“Finding your best friend is great, but don't sweat it,” one student said. “Part of the human experience is learning about your roommates and meeting them where they are.”

For Lily Arnold ’25, who lived with Sammie Chaitovitz ’25 for all four years, the experience was something to treasure.

“You are so lucky to have a sleepover with your best friend all year long,” Lily said. “Enjoy every moment and try to be grateful for this unique and special part of college. You only get to do it once.”

Many students echoed that sentiment, describing their roommates as the people who helped make W&M feel like home.

“The people are the best part of W&M, and my roommate has been the person at the forefront of that experience,” one student shared. “Having someone to do all the classic college things with was so valuable, and I always felt like our dorm or apartment was home.”

Another student reflected on the growth that happens when roommates move through college side by side.

“We are both so different from the first-year students who entered college,” they said, “but we grew in complementary ways, together instead of apart.”