After years of welcoming new students to Queens University, Chaplain Adrian Bird experienced Move-In Day from the other side when he dropped off his daughter, Lydia, at Elon University.
For Queens University Chaplain Adrian Bird, watching students embark on their college journeys during Move-in Day is an annual tradition.
The emotions of that moment were felt in a deeply personal way on Aug. 21, 2026, as Bird and his family unloaded boxes and moved his daughter, Lydia, into her new home at Elon University.
As someone who guides campus life at Queens, Adrian knows firsthand how crucial that first day can be. Experiencing it as a parent offered a fresh perspective.
“I have always known the importance of receiving new students and their families with generous hospitality,” Adrian shared. “Often times staff and students show up to share the load of move-in. What struck me at Elon was the joy and energy that move-in helpers showed up with as they greeted new students and their families—including me! That energy, sincerity, and willingness to assist was so welcome, taking the pressure off what is already an emotionally charged move-in moment.”
For Lydia, stepping onto campus marks the beginning of a long-awaited independence balanced by a comforting closeness to home.
“I had a lot of dreams as a kid of going way up north or going back to Europe for college, but when I found Elon, it felt like such a perfect spot ” Lydia shared. “It was close enough to where if I wanted to pop down and see my family or my friends for a weekend, I could, but also where I felt far enough away that I could start my own journey and begin my own chapter.”
As the Elon and Queens merger progresses, Adrian noted an undeniable personal perk: built-in opportunities to visit. “The selfish reality that I might be going up to Elon for work meetings and can take Lydia out for lunch is a real treat,” he said with a smile.
Born in Scotland, Lydia brings a global perspective to campus. Early in her childhood, the Birds moved to Columbia, South Carolina. There, Lydia spent her weekends wandering around the South Carolina State Museum, sparking a lifelong fascination with history, reading and writing.
Lydia notes that while some humanities majors default to teaching or law, she has her heart set on curated history.
“I want to work in a museum. That’s always been something I’ve been really fascinated by,” Lydia said. ” I want to be in a place where people actively study history and make them come to life through exhibits.”
That career path came into focus during a campus tour when she learned about Elon’s museum studies and public history minor and an archaeology program that spent July conducting field research in Belize.
“That was actually one of those real anchor points of, ‘Wow, maybe this is more of a fit than I thought it would be,'” Adrian recalled.
For Adrian, whose career is built around serving students and fostering multi-faith communities, experiencing this transition as a father is both overwhelming and profoundly rewarding.
“Everybody told us that it would be the blink of an eye, and it certainly has been,” he said. “I love what higher education offers to young people. It’s that growth dimension that happens when students are curious and want to be empowered. I’m thrilled Lydia will get to experience that at Elon, and I will be close enough to see her thrive.”