It’s SHU-nanimous: Four Siblings Choose Sacred Heart

Isabella Paoli graduated from the University, and her three brothers are not far behind

Little did Isabella Paoli ’22 from Northport, NY, realize when her family first came for a campus tour in 2017 that she was kicking off an academic family tradition. “I fell in love immediately,” she said of the homey and comfortable feel of campus. “It’s such a beautiful school.”

Her mother, Brooke Paoli, recalls her daughter’s quick connection to the University. “Bella was in 11th grade, and in the middle of the tour, she turned around and said, ‘This is the school,’” she recalled.

A fashion marketing & merchandising major, Isabella was looking for a smaller school where she felt comfortable. “I didn’t want to be thrown into a class with a couple of hundred people,” she said. “Watching people interact with each other, I just knew I would fit right in here.”

“I knew I wanted to go to Sacred Heart when we visited for Bella,” said Blake Paoli ’23, of that initial campus tour. “We visited a lot of schools, but nowhere impressed me like SHU. The campus was beautiful, and they had a great program in my major.”

Joshua Paoli ’23, entertained a wider field of options during his final years of high school. He initially planned to attend Pennsylvania State University but decided Sacred Heart would suit him better. “I’m happy with the decision I made. I have no regrets,” he said. He was drawn to the campus lifestyle. “Whenever we would visit, everyone was busy. And it was one of the nicest campuses I toured,” he said. Knowing his sister and brother would be at SHU with him only slightly influenced his decision. “I knew [having them on campus] would be nice, but it wasn’t going to be the deciding factor,” he said.

Isabella supported her brothers’ interest in SHU, but she didn’t try to influence them. “My brothers and I were always close, so when they asked if I minded them coming to Sacred Heart, I told them it was a great school,” she said. “I think seeing how much I loved it was a factor in their decisions, but I didn’t push them either way. I wanted them to choose on their own. Of course, they made the right decision,” she added with a laugh.

Twins Blake and Joshua made the conscious decision not to live together their freshman year. “We thought it would be better to separate and meet new people and have new experiences.” The two currently live together off campus.

“People call me Little Paoli,” said Reid Paoli ’26. He settled on SHU because he felt very comfortable at the University, but he also appreciated the growth he saw taking place around the campus. “They are always building,” he said. “It’s not staying stagnant. You see money being put to good use. Plus, I felt [SHU’s acquisition of the] West Campus was a big asset for the business school.”

Going to school with his brothers was appealing because, “I knew that they loved it at Sacred Heart and were having great experiences here. Whenever they came home for break, they would count down the days until they went back.” It also made it easier to make friends. “People who know them will come up to me because they recognize me,” he said.

While Reid ultimately ended up following in his siblings’ collegiate footsteps, he kept his options open when applying to schools. “People in high school used to tell me, ‘You’re definitely going to Sacred Heart because all your siblings went there.’ It was an option, but not automatic,” he said.

The Paoli children always knew the choice of college was theirs to make and that they would have their parents’ support all the way, said their father, Richard Paoli. “We made sure we had a blank slate for each of them to make their own decision as to where they would be most comfortable,” he said. “We wanted to give them the most options, with no pressure to choose a particular school.”

Their mother echoed the sentiment. “Reid applied to the most schools, and we laid them all out. I told him to choose the school he felt would be the most comfortable for him,” she said.

One of the draws for the Long Island family was that SHU was far enough from home, but not too far, especially at the beginning of the students’ college careers, when they might have considered visiting home more often. “I think of it as a curve,” said Richard. “Freshman year, they came back from time to time.” But by senior year, their parents had to drag them off campus, Brooke recalled.

The three Paoli brothers have more in common than choosing SHU. All three are finance majors and members of the Pi Kappa Phi fraternity. Both Blake and Joshua will be sitting for the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) exam in August.

Isabella was a member of the Phi Sigma Sigma sorority. “I wanted to focus on school,” she said. “My friends were in different sororities, so we would go to each other’s events.”

The four siblings agreed there’s something special about being family members and part of the wider SHU family. “I would get really excited when I saw my brothers on campus, but we didn’t run into each other as much as I thought we would,” Isabella said. “I wouldn’t hear from them for a while, and then they would text me questions about laundry.”

“It’s pretty cool to have them on campus,” said Blake about having his siblings on campus. “We run into each other going to classes. And it’s nice that, if my little brother needs anything, I can run errands for him.”

“When Bella was here, I would run into her once or twice a week,” said Joshua. “It was great to have her here, but we were still ‘away’ at school. And it’s nice seeing Reid get involved in some of the same things we are. We can separate, but if we need each other, we are only 10 minutes away.”

Reid said randomly seeing his brothers is a bonus. He also sometimes joins them off campus for dinner, which he said adds “a sense of home.”

Isabella said her Sacred Heart experience is one she is proud to have passed on to her brothers. “All my professors were amazing. I had great connections with them. I value everything I got from Sacred Heart, and I miss it so much. I would redo my entire college career, and I wouldn’t change a thing,” she said.

Blake similarly appreciates the education he has received at Sacred Heart. “I feel confident with what I’ve learned, and I’m prepared for the workforce,” he commented, pointing out that SHU’s small class sizes helped him make the most of his academic experience. “Everyone here wants you to succeed; it’s a great campus culture.”

And Joshua is certain Sacred Heart will help him succeed after graduation. “I know I can be proud to have Sacred Heart on my résumé,” he said.

Their father is pleased with the decisions his children made and especially likes the family and community sense he finds at SHU. “I went to a large state school, and there was never really much connection,” he said.

In 2019, Richard and Brooke established the Paoli Endowed Scholarship for full- or part-time undergraduate or graduate students whose parents have served or are currently serving in the military or law enforcement. “It’s nice to leave a legacy,” Richard said.

The couple is also on the parent council. “We have a vested interest in learning more about what the school is doing,” Richard said, adding that serving on the parent council also gives them broader insight to share when recommending that parents of future college students consider Sacred Heart. “The staff and faculty are so accessible. You can tell that they care, and the reinvestment in the school has been impressive.”

With the changes and growth they have seen at Sacred Heart over the past six years alone, and the quality education they are witnessing for the fourth time, the Paolis know they will always be proud to call Sacred Heart University part of their family tradition.

Pictured: Seated are Rich and Brooke Paoli. Standing, from left, are Josh, Isabella, Blake and Reid.