Happy Valentine's Day! #RoanokeLove
February 12, 2016
Recently, Roanoke College captured photos of Tom Bryan '12 proposing to Caroline Whitbeck '12 on campus. This happens more than you'd think, but we usually don't catch the picture. Images of their proposal led to a social media post asking for #RoanokeLove stories.
Most of the submissions that we received from other Roanoke lovebirds started something like this:
This is our Roanoke College love story...
Ryne Farmer '14 and Morgan Farmer '13, formerly Morgan Thomson, met during Ryne's first week of school when Morgan was a sophomore helping with orientation.
Lauren Price Martin '10 and Michael Martin '09 met the first day on campus, started dating the next semester and have been together ever since.
Some alumni, like Kristen Wilson '05 and Travis Wilson '05, met in class. "Technically, Travis and I met on the second day of classes freshman year in Dr. Ned Wisnefske's Philosophy 101 class (Socrates, Jesus and the Buddha)," wrote Kristen Wilson.
Mackenzie Slater '15 said she met her fiancé Glenn Rhodes '15 "the first day we stepped on campus at Roanoke College." Their friendship blossomed as the years went on and soon they will be married.
Jessica Kirsche'10 shared her story on Instagram. She and Jeremiah Morrow '08 met the first week of school at a Market Street picnic.
Rob Altier '14 and Caroline Lewandowski '14 met during their sophomore year. Both were in Greek organizations and shared plenty of mutual friends. They both live in Roanoke now (each with roommates who are also RC alumni.) "We're so proud to say we met, fell in love, graduated from, and still visit our alma mater Roanoke College!" Lewandowski said.
Alex Delaricheliere '14 said it took her two years and a May Term across the world to finally get the nerve to tell Marshall Lancey '14 she was in love with him. Now, they're about a month away from their wedding.
Ed Bennett was in Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, and convinced his girlfriend, Debbra Gimbertto transfer to Roanoke College so they could be closer! Ed Bennett said they were both "products of the early 60's which were truly ‘Happy Days!'" The Bennetts both graduated in 1969.
Even if you didn't meet your sweetheart or spouse at Roanoke, chances are strong for meeting someone who would become a lifelong friend or BFF.
Roanoke Love Stories
Mathew Brown '13 proposed to Lacey Loope '13 on November 2, 2015 on Roanoke's campus. The two lived only 20 minutes apart growing up, but met on campus freshmen year through a group project in an INQ class. Their wedding date is set for June 4, 2016. (Photos by Morgan Brickey Photography.)
Mackenzie Slater '15 and Glenn Rhodes '15
From Mackenzie: "We met the first day we stepped on campus at Roanoke College and became friends immediately. Our friendship helped us through a rough first year of school and blossomed as the years went on. Junior year of college came fast and I realized there was no one better in this life than my best friend, Glenn. I swallowed my pride and told Glenn I loved him. Luckily for me, he felt the same way. Now, we are getting married and couldn't be happier!"
Ryne Farmer '14 and Morgan Farmer'13, formally Morgan Thomson, met during Ryne's first week of school. At the time, Morgan was a sophomore and helping with orientation. A couple months later they both started talking and realized how much they had in common. They dated through college and got married in June 2015. Roanoke holds a special place in their hearts and will always be a place that means so much to their relationship. Without Roanoke College, they would have never had the opportunity to meet and spend the rest of their lives together.
Nicole Lenez had one of our favorite responses because it was truly #RoanokeLove. Her love story is with the college itself. She says, "In four years (and two months) I fell in love an estimated million times. My love of history was unleashed (and boy was it filled with passion even though my grades did not reflect a great skill). That campus. Those people. The faculty. The staff. THE FOOD. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Like some love stories, I didn't even want to go ... to try something new and outside my comfort zone. Then I did and I found a better version of myself as often can happen when we fall in love."
Lauren (Price) Martin '10 and Michael Martin '09
From Lauren: We met the first day of school on campus, started dating the next semester and have been together ever since! We got married in 2012 and live in the Roanoke Valley.
Tom Bryan '12 proposed to Caroline Whitbeck '12 on campus in late January. Tom said, "I couldn't have imagined a more perfect day and planned a better place to 'pop the question' other than Roanoke College! All of the amazing memories we had during our time here, it only seemed fitting to ask the most beautiful, nicest, best person I have ever met in the place where we met - adding another special and unbelievable memory to our wonderful school!"
Ed Bennett was in Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity, and convinced his girlfriend, Debbra Gimbert to transfer to Roanoke College so they could be closer! She joined Delta Gamma. Ed says, "We were both products of the early 60's which were truly "Happy Days!"
Matt Fields 1991
Elizabeth Hanney Fields 1992
From Elizabeth: "I met my husband at the Phi Mu crush party and after graduation and that August we got married. It's been a wonderful 23 years! And many of our dear friends are still the Roanoke people that were at our wedding."
Rob Altier '14 and Caroline Lewandowski '14
They met their sophomore year.
Alex Delaricheliere said it took her two years and a May Term across the world to finally get the nerve to tell Marshall Lancey that she was in love with him. Now, they're about a month away from their wedding.
From Kristen Wilson '05:
Technically, Travis and I met on the second day of classes freshman year in Dr. Wisnefske's Philosophy 101 class (Socrates, Jesus and the Budda). Our friendship budded over our "out of classroom" religion and philosophy debates and we started dating our junior year after discovering that our friendship had evolved into love. Travis was a Theology major with ambitions set on becoming a pastor (which he has since accomplished) and I was a psychology major with a minor in religion. We just celebrated our 10 year anniversary this past June, and are even more in love with each other than when we attended Roanoke.
On Instagram or Twitter, search #RoanokeCollege or #RoanokeLove to see all of the love stories and share your own #RoanokeLove story.
Elizabeth Hanney Fields '92 met her husband, Matt Fields '91, at a Phi Mu crush party. She says many of their dear friends today are the people they met at Roanoke College.
Jeannette Holian '09 posted on Instagram about a different type of love she found at Roanoke: her best friend, Kim Kernan ‘08. The two met as RAs in Bowman Hall. "We've been together through terrible relationships, weddings, laughs, Josh Groban concerts, and so much more," Holian said. "We've even been able to look past the fact that she's a Ravens fan and I'm a Steelers fan. That's love. Essentially we've grown up together. She's the person I call after good things happen, the person I call to vent, and the person I can laugh so hard with I don't care what the rest of the restaurant (or Commons) thinks!"
Nicole Lenez ‘05 had one of our favorite responses because it was truly #RoanokeLove. Here's an excerpt of her post from Facebook.
In four years (and two months) I fell in love an estimated million times. My love of history was unleashed (and boy was it filled with passion even though my grades did not reflect a great skill). I got an internship at the local museum and fell in love with cataloging and docents and community activities and fundraisers. I fell in love with the Civil War soldier whose journal I was transcribing onto a desktop computer.
I became an RA and a desk assistant and fell hard and fast for student services (my vocation). I fell in love with doing the daily crossword with my friends as we rotated through our shifts at the desk.
And my friends-are there words to describe a love like that? They are supportive and loyal and kind and funny and fun and incredibly talented. They are the best people I've ever met and I love them for an eternity. We danced and cheered our way through college and held each other up when things were tough. Every time we get together it's like we never left the lounge of Catawba, the hallways in Marion, the basketball games in Bast, the party on Easy Street, the computer lab at midnight, brunch at the commons.... LOVE.
That campus. Those people. The faculty. The staff. THE FOOD. LOVE LOVE LOVE. Like some love stories, I didn't even want to go ... to try something new and outside my comfort zone. Then I did and I found a better version of myself as often can happen when we fall in love.
Then, lucky me, I got to work there! After 4 years away, I got to go back and fall in love all over again with Salem; with the college; with my colleagues; and THE STUDENTS ! The RAs (Shoutout to CLAMS, CLAAMS, and Northside!), desk workers, Alpha Sigma Alpha sisters, students who sat in my office, students who I sat in the ER with-even the students who would play their bongos outside my windows ... Love Love Love. They solidified my vocation. They taught and challenged me daily. They fed my soul. I made friends then that will last the rest of my life AND I GOT A BID!
My love story is Roanoke College, and it will remain DEEP IN MY HEART forever (see what I did there? Now the alma mater is stuck in your head). I am forever grateful for this love. GO MAROONS! #RoanokeLove