Meet the Fingerman Family (left to right: Louis ‘97, Erin ‘25, Kimberly ‘98), a RMU legacy family who got to celebrate Erin’s graduation at the 2025 spring commencement, proudly continuing their family’s tradition of Colonial pride.

Louis and Kimberly first met more than 20 years ago, where their RMU journey began as RMU students. Kimberly was drawn to RMU’s ‘small-town feel’ and pursued a degree in management, while Louis transferred in to study logistics and aviation management. Their paths crossed through their studies and a shared friend group.

“We were in the same friend circle,” Kimberly recalls. “I needed some help with accounting and Louis was very good at accounting, so he was able to help me through it… and after the friendship, we just felt something more was there.”

During their time on campus, Louis and Kimberly attended Colonial football games together and took part in numerous RMU and student-led events. Years later, everything came full circle for them when they returned to campus–this time, as parents, ready to tour it with their daughters.

“We first brought Erin about six years ago when her sister was actually touring the campus…” Louis said. “Erin fell in love with the campus, its small-town feel, and she wanted to pursue it there… even though we made her tour more schools just in case she didn’t want to go to RMU, but that’s how her RMU story started…”

For Erin, who pursued a degree in nursing, RMU felt like the right choice from the start.

“As a nursing major, I really liked the small-town feel… but I also liked the clinical experiences that were offered…” Erin said. “Being so close to the city, I felt like it would be a place where I would have opportunities to explore a lot of the more advanced medical facilities in the state and that was something that really excited me.”

Freshman move-in day is a special milestone day for many families–but for the Fingerman family, it was meaningful. Freshman move-in day brought everything full circle.

“Freshman year move-in was special…” Erin said. “Them coming back and me starting my journey there… we all got to wear our RMU gear and they got to tour campus again and see the differences, and we got to see the beauty of Massey Gardens, so it was special.”

“It was neat to see her follow in the footsteps and carry on the legacy…” Kimberly said. 

“Move-in day was a warm-bad feeling because she pointed out that the Washington Suites was built the same year I was born…” Louis said.

The Fingermans lived in Germany by Erin’s senior year–having moved to Germany in June 2023 for Louis’s role as an Air Force Civilian (and a Department of Defense Civilian, a career he began right after graduation nearly 28 years ago. 

“It was nice for the college and the environment to take care of our daughter since we are out of the country most of the time… we live in Germany… so it was great for the college to take care of our daughter and we didn’t have to worry too much because we knew the college was safe,” Louis said. “We have several classmates that graduated with us, work on campus, or live in the Moon local area, so it was great knowing that they were all here taking care of our daughter.”

That strong support system helped Erin during her time at RMU, which is why she says she’ll miss everything about RMU and its campus. From the late nights at Scaife Hall, to the ‘Secret Menu’ Raspberry Cheesecake Iced Coffees at the Hale Cafe, to playing for the RMU Women’s Rugby team, and the many memories made with friends in the dorms. But above all, Erin will miss the nursing program most.

“I think it is the relationships that I am going to miss the most…” Erin said. “There are a lot of wonderful wonderful human beings that are graduating this year… The professors were hard–it’s a hard profession–so I think they really encouraged us to reach outside of our comfort zone and encouraged us to work hard through everything... I’m definitely going to miss the clinical experiences and my clinical instructors… Then, the RISE Center is somewhere I had the privilege of working as a lab assistant–getting to see behind-the-scenes and also being a part of the simulations were all experiences that cultivated a great education.”

Through the nursing program and the mentorship of Dr. Betsy Guimond, Erin had a standalone experience working with Mama Tulia Ministries, a nonprofit organization out of Uganda known for working with and supporting vulnerable mothers of premature babies. Erin and the group connected through FaceTime to learn how the organization navigates having limited resources and healthcare access especially for women raising children on their own. Mama Tulia Ministries provides life-skills training like sewing and cooking, helping mothers earn income to cover NICU and hospital expenses. Erin and the group she worked with offered education on topics like premature birth, respiratory care, breastfeeding, and kangaroo care–sharing practical ways to maximize limited resources.

“I felt blessed that I was able to have that opportunity,” Erin said. “It was amazing to be able to talk with those women and just getting to see their lives and, hopefully, improving them a little bit…”

“I also wanted to shout out Jessie Kamerer, from the Career Center,” Erin added. “She helps Dr. Guimond with that and she’s actually been over to Uganda a couple of times through that project.”

Through these experiences, Erin, Louis, and Kimberly all remembered a few professors who made a profound impact on their education and life.

“Dr. Betsy Guimond… allowed me to work with her for a project out of Uganda, with a village there, to teach them about expectations for newborns and motherhood, so that was an amazing experience for four semesters…” Erin said. “Through that, I got to cultivate a more personal relationship with her and she was able to guide me through a lot of the interviews you have to do… she just made me feel like I was really supported.”

“In management, the best professor I had was named Dr. Jeff Guiler,” Kimberly said. “He had a lot of real-world experience and was able to impart a lot of practical wisdom from his experiences. He also happened to be the advisor for the Students for the Advancement of Management (SAM), so there was a lot of extra mentorship that happened through those experiences as well.”

“Dr. Guiler for me as well, but also, Professor Dudley, who was the aviation management person back then,” Louis recalled.“It was amazing how he provided real-world environments and knowledge of logistics–which help me in my career path to this day.”

Although move-in day marked the beginning of Erin’s RMU journey, the Fingermans recently returned to campus for another unforgettable milestone: graduation. With the campus they all knew so well as the backdrop, Louis and Kimberly watched their daughter graduate and walk the same path they did years ago–completing the same journey they once began.

“Of course, it’s amazing…” Louis said. “It’s an added bonus that she’s graduating from the same college as we did… it’s pretty amazing, I’m not sure of the right words…”

“I think it’s pretty incredible to see the start to her dream coming true…” Kimberly said.

“I think I’m just really excited to graduate and I think it is every kid’s dream to make their parents proud…” Erin said. “I know if I would’ve graduated from anywhere, it would have made them proud, but I think it is extra special that I get to share the same campus and the same legacy as them… it makes everything more joyful and enhances the experience for me…”

As Erin gets ready to begin her career in nursing, she continues to carry everything RMU gave her–skills, memories, and family.

“RMU started our family, but it also gave me a lot of other families, and for that, I will forever be grateful…” Erin said. “To my nursing family, my lab assistant family, the rugby family, just my friends–I feel like RMU has created a home that has allowed me to extend that family.”

The Fingerman family also has a few pieces of advice for future Colonial alumni as well as the newest members of the RMU Alumni Community: the Robert Morris University Class of 2025.

“Never stop setting a new goal for yourself and to keep pursuing those goals…” Kimberly said.

“On that same path, always establish ‘stretch goals’ and never be afraid to chase them…” Louis said.

“I feel like if you can make it through four years of college, then you are ready to be Unstoppable in the real-world…” Erin said.