The kitchen at the Bienert family house in Freeland is command central. For years, the four Bienert kids did their homework there, called or texted friends, devoured snacks and meals, and made noise. A lot of noise.
The quiet in August will be eerie as triplets Cassie, Lizzie and Michael head off to college. The three recent Hereford High School graduates leave behind their parents and sister, Jen, who is going into her senior year at Hereford.
"I don't want them to leave," said Jen, who knows the parental spotlight will shine on her and her alone once her siblings are gone.
But Cassie, Lizzie and Michael, 18, are ready to be on their own. Lizzie will travel to Washington College in Chestertown, Md. Cassie and Michael will attend Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., their mother's alma mater.
"It's definitely going to be strange to be at school without them, but I'm ready for it," Lizzie said. She plans on studying nursing and psychology and hopes to play club softball. She also wants to take advantage of the nearby Chester River to try her hand at sailing.
With some 6,000 other freshmen at Virginia Tech, it's unlikely Michael and Cassie will see much of each other. Cassie, who did an internship at Mt. Carmel Animal Hospital in Hereford, plans to study animal science. She had a 4.0 grade point average for all four years at Hereford.
Michael, a tennis player at Hereford who played in the state tennis championship at University of Maryland in late May, said he will play club tennis at college. He hasn't picked a major yet, but has picked a roommate — fellow Hereford grad Brian Schmalberger.
The triplets' parents, Klaus and Laurie, say they're happy each of their children will have a unique college experience.
"We have always encouraged them to be their own person and have their own interests from the time they were born. They are all basically friendly, outgoing kids who get along well with others and make friends easily," Laurie said. "I think they are going to miss one another, though."
The triplets attended Our Lady of Grace School in Parkton and then went on to Hereford High School.
"Being new to Hereford was hard since everybody already knew each other from middle school, but there were three of us, so we at least had each other," Cassie said.
With triple college costs looming, Laurie Bienert, a clinical pharmacist, transferred from York Hospital to Johns Hopkins Hospital to take advantage of Johns Hopkins University's tuition reimbursement. That program will pay half of the tuition costs for each child for all four years.
By the end of August, all three Bienert students will be settled in their new homes. Klaus and Laurie are already looking forward to parents' weekends and eventual graduations. They're just hoping important events at both schools don't happen on the same day.