Stories

Sam, Seth, and Shawn Landoch
Redondo Beach, California

Santa Clara’s freshman triplets Sam,  Seth, and Shawn Landoch ‘24 aren’t on campus yet, but when that day happens, they know the drill.

“Whenever someone meets all of us together, they’ll say, ‘Oh, you two (Shawn and Sam) look similar, but this one (Seth) looks different,” says Shawn of the typical encounter he and his brothers have learned to smile through over the last 18 years.

Eye-rolling aside, the trio wouldn’t have it any other way.

“For the most part, it’s been pretty good,” Shawn says of their experience growing up together in Redondo Beach.

“Also, you’re never lonely,” says Sam. “And we think along the same page because we have had so many shared experiences.”

Another triplet benefit: “Being able to meet a lot of people and bringing a lot of people together,” says first-born Seth.

That’s something the friendly threesome expect they’ll continue to do at Santa Clara, especially because they plan to room together.

After all, sharing a bedroom and most everything else has been a way of life for the brothers who recently graduated from Loyola High School of Los Angeles, one of the top-ranked all-boys Jesuit college prep schools in the country.

“My mom always tells us that ever since they knew they were having sons, they knew they wanted us to go to Loyola,” says Shawn of the brothers’ introduction to the Jesuit philosophy of educating the whole person, or Cura Personalis.

“They wanted us to be grounded in a Catholic education,” he says.

So when it came to colleges, Santa Clara University was right in their comfort zone—though it helps that SCU offers a nice discount to families with three students enrolled at the same time.

“For me, it was just the feel of the campus, walking around it,” says Sam. “And I was just really impressed with the panel they had for us,” including Loyola grads who had been leaders at their alma mater. Seth also liked the campus vibe, while Shawn raved about the proximity to “a great area” like Silicon Valley.

Each brother has different interests: Shawn is in the school of business, where he is majoring in economics, though his long-term goal is law school; Sam, who loves physics and problem-solving, is enrolled in the school of engineering; and Seth is an undeclared major in the College of Arts and Sciences, but sees himself moving over to the business school at some point.

“I was actually the first of the three of us to commit to SCU,” Seth says. “We weren’t sure all three of us were going to attend, but we talked to the school and we talked to each other about which choice would be the best for us and we knew Santa Clara would be the best.”

But, but ... sharing a dorm room—after all this time?

“We never really fight anymore,” says Shawn. “And we’re already used to living with each other.”

The brothers actually do a lot together, from playing music—mostly rock and roll—with Seth on piano, Sam on drums, and Shawn on guitar.

They played on the same club sports teams, from baseball, to soccer, to Brazilian jiu jitsu, a martial art they were introduced to as youngsters through a bully-proof program.

Since COVID-19 installed the siblings at home for remote learning, each brother has carved out his own study area around their house, with Seth taking the front room that was formerly his mother’s office, while Sam’s desk is in the living room next to a large window “and a pretty cool view.” Shawn studies from a less-well lit room—“there’s not much to it,” he notes—located elsewhere in the house.

So far, they’ve taken advantage of a Zoom “Bronco Bash” for freshmen that included break-out rooms, where they introduced themselves to fellow first year students, as well as SCU students who answered questions about meal plans and dorm life.

Oh, about telling the brothers apart: If you can’t remember who is who, don’t worry.

“Our parents, they’ll just say, ‘Seth-Sam-Shawn, get over here!’ because it’s too much of a hassle to figure out,” says Sam, who’s been known to pass himself off as his brother Shawn when it’s convenient. Shawn is happy to return the favor.

“I’ll be walking by at school and someone says, ‘Hey, what’s up Sam?’ and I’m too lazy to say I’m Shawn.’’

Written by Tracy Seipel and Katrina Rudd