A THIRD PIPER IN THE FAMILY Sophomore Kaitlyn Perring followed in her brothers' footsteps when she became a Pied Piper this year. Prior to coming to Harding, Perring had seen her brothers, 2012 alumnus Tyler and 2008 alumnus Matthew Perring, perform with the Pied Pipers. After seeing her brother Matthew's first Homecoming show, Kaitlyn Perring decided she wanted to join her brothers in the troupe and to be a part of a second family at Harding. "I decided to be a Piper because I know that they are family," Kaitlyn Perring said. "The saying is, 'once a Piper, always a Piper,' and everyone is so wonderful and welcoming." While Kaitlyn Perring's older brothers were Pipers, the troupe came to stay at the Perring house while traveling to perform at elementary schools.That experience solidified Kaitlyn Perring's interest in joining the group. When she arrived at Harding, Kaitlyn Perring already felt a connection to the group and wanted to be involved. "When they came to my house for tour, they treated me like one of them, and it was such an amazing experience for me,'' Kaitlyn Perring said. Kaitlyn Perring said her love for children was another reason she loved Pipers. She said that if she could, she would spend all of her time with kids, a characteristic that made her a valuable addition to the troupe. Fellow Piper senior Scotti Beth Lawson also treasured the familial Sophomore Kaitlyn Perring continues the tradition of her two older brothers by joining Pied Pipers atmosphere of the Pipers. "The Pied Pipers is like a family because of the bonds you create with each individual that is in a pair of colored overalls,'' Lawson said. "The amount of time that you spend with each other just heightens the feelings of family and strengthens the bonds between all of us." Lawson said she could easily understand why multiple siblings from a family would want to join the Pipers family. She said being in Pipers "brings joy" to many people, to both the little children they performed for and the Pipers themselves. Junior Piper member Emily Owens called Kaitlyn Perring "the glue of the group, constantly providing subtle encouragement, support and affection." She also she had seen Kaitlyn Perring grow during her time as a Piper. "Kaitlyn has really flourished this semester," Owens said. "She has begun to take ownership of her talents and use them to impact as many children as she can. She's also become a brave performer." Kaitlyn Perring's favorite part of being in Pipers was the ease of expressing herself among people that she knew supported and loved her. "My favorite part is having a place to call home," Kaitlyn Perring said. "It's hard being away from home, and life is so much easier when I have my Piper family. It's such a blessing to be a part of such an amazing group." Alexis Hosticka Molly McKinney Cara Messmer Victoria Metts Maria Midence Perez Timothy Miles Samuel Miller Kaitlin Morkassel Savannah Morris Cole Maury Lilly Muhlenbruch Matthew Mullen Taylor Neal Rebecca Neely Joanna Nelson Justin Nesselrotte Sophomores 1155
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