The lasting bond of Buckeye sisters
The lasting bond of Buckeye sisters
As told by Jasmine Jones
“Mom would be so proud of us.”
Diane Shaffer ’69 said those words to her two younger sisters, Eileen Baxter ’72 and Marcia Galante ’77, during a special visit to the iconic campus destination, Mirror Lake, in 2024. Their mother urged them to get a college education so they could find careers and support themselves, but she couldn’t have imagined how that encouragement would lead her daughters to The Ohio State University and strengthen their bond.
Diane, Eileen and Marcia grew up in Michigan until their father's passing prompted their mother to move them closer to her family in Toledo, Ohio. When Diane graduated from high school at the age of seventeen, she was awarded multiple scholarships from Ohio State and decided to make the move to Columbus.
It proved to be the right decision for Diane. She loved her time on campus and studied hard to earn her degree in education. Inspired by their older sister, Eileen and Marcia decided to attend Ohio State, though each had her own unique journey.
Eileen first came to campus during Diane’s last quarter, eager to make the most of her time at Ohio State. As a talented trombone player, she found her community through playing in the Scarlet Band, a group open to all students that is now known as the Symphonic Band. “Ohio State provides much more than an education,” said Eileen, reflecting on the connections she made. “I greatly value my friendships from the university.”
Marcia studied art history at Ohio State, though she left briefly to attend finishing school. When she returned, she took a few classes about Asian art that inspired her and her husband to go to China for their honeymoon, instilling in her a deep appreciation for experiencing different cultures through travel.
The three sisters all took different routes upon graduating. The day after her commencement, Diane started her 30-year career as a teacher. Eileen moved all around, eventually ending up in San Diego where she became a paralegal. Marcia became a docent at the Columbus Museum of Art and took up traveling in her free time with her husband. But no matter where they went, it was easy to stay connected as a Buckeye family.
“Mom would be so proud of us.”
Over the years, the sisters stayed in touch through postcards and letters, but they bonded especially over the Ohio State Alumni Magazine. After receiving every issue, they would discuss it together, which led them to discover a story about the project to restore Mirror Lake in late 2017.
From football games and protests to moments shared with one another on campus achieving their mother’s dream, Ohio State helped shape Diane, Eileen and Marcia into the people they became. They decided to honor that legacy, not just as Ohio State students, but as sisters, by taking part in the historic renovation and purchasing a Mirror Lake brick.
It was important for them to be by each other’s side the first time they saw their brick — and it finally happened on Diane’s birthday in 2024. After walking through the Union, hearing the chimes from Orton Hall, and making their way across the Oval, Diane, Eileen and Marcia read the brick’s inscription that immortalized their time at Ohio State.
Diane, Eileen and Marcia exemplify our community’s bond that withstands the test of time and change. For all of us, Ohio State offers more than a college degree: It provides a community, a place for relationships to develop and grow, and a home to which Buckeyes can always return. Though campus looks different than when these sisters attended, coming together at Mirror Lake showed them two things that have remained the same — the love they have for Ohio State, and the love they have for one another.
Story collected by Jasmine Jones, written by Mollie Hiss, edited by Will Hejduk