For most of their lives, Newman University student Dylan and her older sister Nika Sykes, a Newman employee, have never stayed in one place for long.
As daughters of a U.S. Air Force F-16 fighter pilot, their childhood was defined by constant change — new countries, new schools and the challenge of starting over. But amid the inconsistency, one thing remained constant for the Sykes sisters: the unbreakable bond between them and their four siblings.
Now, the sisters have found themselves in a place that feels like a home: Newman University.
The challenges of growing up in a military family
Dylan said the biggest challenge of moving around often while growing up was the instability.
From birth until present day, Dylan has lived in Maryland (six weeks), Lithuania (two years), Germany (three years), Arlington, Virginia (one year), Moscow, Russia (two years), Vancouver, Canada (one month), Washington state (six months), Misawa, Japan (two years), Washington state (three years), Phoenix, Arizona (four years) and Kansas (three and a half years).
When she was around 11 years old, Dylan realized that not every kid grew up as she did. She admittedly experienced jealousy at the thought of missing out on childhood friends, familiar neighborhoods, a lifelong home or family living nearby.
“Luckily, very soon after I became aware of my jealousy, I also became aware that those same people were jealous of the way that I grew up and the experiences that I had,” she said. “It was really just a grass is greener kind of thing and that helped me to see how blessed I was.”
With no deep friendships from childhood, Dylan said her most valuable relationships were and continue to be those shared with her siblings.
“I think that I am lucky to be closer than average with all my siblings because no one really understands our unique childhood except for us,” Dylan said. “Add to that the number of stamps in my passport, the beautiful things I got to see and the amazing places I got to visit and be immersed in, and I really can’t imagine that there is a better way to grow up.”
Sacrifice as love in action
Perhaps the most important takeaway from her many moves as a child, Dylan said, is the value of sacrifice.
“I understood that the military was synonymous with sacrifice, not just with the ultimate sacrifice, to lay down one’s life out of love, but also the many, many sacrifices that are required from everyone from service members, the spouses and their kids,” Dylan said. “My dad is one of my favorite people in the whole world. He is not just a hero, but my hero. But he would not be able to be a hero without my mum.”
Dylan often reflects on just how much her mother had to sacrifice, from holidays with her family in Canada to a general sense of normalcy and stability. She will always remember her mother’s efforts to “make the best out of every place that we lived.”
“I never heard her complain about moving or having to start over,” Dylan said. “That’s not just a testament to the strength of the military community but also a testament to her strength and love, which I hope to continue to use as an example for the rest of my life.”
Building community at Newman University
When it came time to consider colleges, Dylan wanted to pick a place that was small and Catholic. She discovered that Newman University was her perfect fit.
“In my opinion, Newman is the perfect size because I can’t go anywhere without running into a friend,” Dylan said. “I am also incredibly lucky to have classes with some of the best teachers I have ever had, and my experiences with them are enriched by the small class sizes.”
Her lessons from youth taught her that “home is what you make it” — it has nothing to do with location and “everything to do with community.”
“My dad grew up in Kansas, so I have family nearby, which was something I really missed out on as a kid,” she said. “But it is truly the greatest blessing in my life now. Moving out here with Nika was exciting at first, like all moves, but contrary to living in other places, I don’t feel like a temporary resident. I feel comfortable and content here in a way that is completely new to me.”
Newman University is Dylan’s 12th school and marks the longest amount of time she has ever been in one place.
“My community at Newman, which includes my teachers, friends, roommates and now Nika, makes me feel at home here every day,” she said.
Nika’s journey from engineering to faith-based service
As the second oldest of six, Nika attended the University of Washington Bothell. After graduating with her degree in mechanical engineering, she began a year of service at a faith-based nonprofit in Dallas that housed and served pregnant mothers. There, she supported mothers from any point in their pregnancy through the first nine months after their baby’s birth.
“I found great value in working for a faith-based organization,” Nika said. “Knowing that my sister would be starting at Newman in the fall, I looked for possibilities in Wichita.”
Two weeks before Dylan’s scheduled departure date from Phoenix, Nika was offered a position in the Office of Marriage and Family Life with the Diocese of Wichita, where she worked before joining the team at Newman in August 2024. She currently works as the assistant director of Campus Ministry and administrative assistant for mission integration.
The most rewarding aspect of Nika’s job at Newman is the ability to work with the students.
“The students are amazing to be around,” Nika said. “From one-on-one conversations to group activities like the campus ministry paint instruction night, I can always count on laughs and meaningful conversations.”
When it comes to her hopes for Dylan, Nika said she has been “blown away” by the knowledge, philosophy and theology concepts her little sister has learned.
“I hope she can continue her pursuit of knowledge for knowledge’s sake — a beautiful example of what St. John Henry Newman promotes as true education,” Nika added.
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