47 Couples Who Found Love Right Here at Binghamton

Partners in business and life

Todd and Veronica’s story began during syllabus week in September 2014, when Veronica and her friends ducked into an empty, air-conditioned room at a downtown Binghamton party to escape the heat. Moments later, the room’s resident, Todd, walked in, and the two struck up an unexpected conversation. Their first official date soon followed at Remlik’s. After graduation, Todd built his career in technology sales, while Veronica pursued work in SEO, and for a time, they even worked for direct competitors. Their shared ambition led them to apply to MBA programs together, and both were accepted to the University of Southern California. They moved to Los Angeles, where they earned their graduate degrees and co-founded Thumbo, a sports technology company that helps professional sports teams collect first-party fan data through interactive live experiences. The couple married in Sicily in 2024 and are now back in New York with their two cats, Jupiter and Mars.

Todd Levy ‘15 and Veronica Levy ‘17

A bench, a conversation, a lifetime

​​Llew and I met in The Union during our first year at Binghamton in 1990. We were both early for a student organization meeting and ended up chatting on a bench outside the room. That chance conversation sparked a friendship that grew stronger over the next two years and blossomed into love by junior year. After graduation, I passed the New York Bar exam, and Llew earned his nursing license. In 1998, we got married, with eight Binghamton alumni in our wedding party and many more celebrating with us. Today, we have three amazing children, and we run our own businesses. We remain deeply grateful to Binghamton for giving us not just an education, but the beginning of a beautiful life together.

Caroline Laguerre-Brown ‘94 and Llew Brown ‘95

Where it all took root

We met on the bus to a harvest festival at BU Acres, the University farm, where we later went on to work. A few months later, we were in two great classes together – Ecological Agriculture and Backcountry Medicine. We had our first official date at Lost Dog, which happened to be on Mardi Gras night. We’ve been bopping around Binghamton and hiking the local trails ever since (Elias was a hiking instructor at Binghamton University). Seven years after our first date, we bought a house in Vestal, started a farm (@Hindlwood Farm) and got married. We welcomed our daughter a few months ago and are so grateful that we both chose Binghamton.

Eliana Miller ‘18, MS ‘20 and Elias Miller ‘18, PhD ‘24

A note that started it all

Angie and I took an English class together in Spring 2018. It was a small class in the basement of the library, taught by Lois Einhorn. For the entire semester, I wanted to talk to Angie, but it wasn’t until the very end of the year that I finally took action. On the last day of class, Professor Einhorn had us pass around sheets of paper with our names on them so classmates could write something nice to one another. It was very sweet and totally in line with the kind of professor she was. And lo and behold, on my paper, Angie wrote, “I always thought you were funny, and I wish I had gotten to know you more.” Still, I didn’t have it in me to talk to her in class, so I messaged her on Facebook – of all places – to see if she wanted to grab a bite to eat. She said yes, and our first date was at the legendary Cyber Cafe, which is sadly no longer open. The rest is history. Angie and I got married in July 2025, and Binghamton will always be a huge part of our love story.

Nathan Budashewitz ‘19 and Angie Ramirez ‘20

Creative beginnings

Jake and I met in a creative writing class during our sophomore year. He told me he liked a story I wrote, and we started studying together. Soon after, we went on our first date to a movie at AMC Vestal on Valentine’s Day in 2011, 15 years ago. The rest is history. During our time at Binghamton, we were active in Jewish life and were both founding members of a Jewish sorority and fraternity on campus. We also supported each other’s creative passions. I was often the lead groupie at his band gigs, and he attended my orchestra concerts. We got engaged at Lincoln Center after a New York Philharmonic concert and were married in 2017. On our way home from our wedding upstate, we even made a pit stop at Binghamton to visit the classroom where we first met. We’re very grateful that our paths crossed the way they did. We now have a 2-year-old and look forward to celebrating our date-iversary by catching a movie together.

Gabby Becker ‘13 and Jake Becker ‘13

The chemistry was real

We met in the summer of 2016 during S4P, an extended orientation for first-generation students. We were suitemates in Mountainview’s Hunter Hall for orientation. Right before my first-ever general chemistry lecture, I spotted Shawn in the middle of the lecture hall from the front row and yelled for him to sit next to me. From there, you could say we developed our own “chemistry” and became official by the spring semester of our first year. We were married on top of an Adirondack mountain in October 2024 and now live in Burlington, Vt. Shawn is an internal medicine resident at UVMMC, and I am a community hospice nurse. #TRIOworks

James Lansing ‘20 and Shawn Lansing ‘20

More than a study group

Dan and I met during Consumer Behavior in the School of Management. He likes to say he noticed me on day one because I seemed stressed over the syllabus. We were randomly placed in a group, and after one late-night study session, it was raining, and he offered to drive me back to my dorm. The rest is history. We’ve been together ever since, got married in June 2024 and recently bought our first home. We’re so proud to say we met at Binghamton – very proud alumni.

Jessica Hickey ‘19 and Daniel Guzman ‘19

From parties to parenthood

Michelle and I met at a party in Binghamton and quickly realized we had mutual friends and interests. We performed together at the annual Barrio Fiesta, took road trips and made countless late-night trips to Denny’s. After college, we’ve been happily married for more than 15 years and now share a home with our three children, ages 10, 8 and 2 months. My wife works as a global energy claims adjuster, and I teach middle school math.

Victor Lee ‘04 and Michelle Cruz-Lee ‘04

A birthday night that changed everything

We met senior year at one of Binghamton’s greatest establishments: Tom & Marty’s. One of those random “going out” nights – Mark’s birthday – somehow turned into everything. It ended the way all great Binghamton nights do, with slices at Pasquale’s. From there, we shared time in Bartle Library, coffee dates, laughs, trips to Wegmans and wings at the Old Union Hotel. Today, Mark works at Deloitte as a CPA, and Jackie recently accepted a position as a nurse practitioner. In October 2025, we celebrated our love at our wedding, surrounded by friends from college who were part of so many of those memories. Rumor has it that it was one of the largest Binghamton alumni gatherings of all time.

Jackie Hammerschmidt ‘19 and Mark Hammerschmidt ‘19, MS ‘20

Finding more than a career at Decker

We were in the same BAT program at Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, but we didn’t really get to know each other until I waited on Jake’s family at The Shop in downtown Binghamton for his sister’s birthday dinner. After that night, we started talking more. A few weeks later, most of our friends went home for Thanksgiving, but I stayed in Binghamton. Since Jake grew up in Vestal, he was around, so I asked if I could spend Thanksgiving Eve with him and his friends. I went into the night just hoping for something fun, but after getting to know Jake better and meeting his friends and family, my feelings began to grow. We spent the rest of our BAT program together, went on many dates to Iron Agave and The Shop, and have been together ever since. Now we are both working as nurses and have plans to travel the world together. So far, we’ve been to Greece, Italy, France and the Dominican Republic, and we’re looking forward to many more adventures. We’re so thankful for Binghamton University, especially Decker College, for helping us build our dream careers and find each other.

Alexandra Hintz ‘24 and Jacob Wlostowski ‘24

Debate team to date night

We met through the debate team in 2017. Technically, our first date was at Denny’s. Even though we sat there talking over what was supposed to be dinner until about 3 a.m. – about everything from family and hopes and dreams to fears and inside jokes – we both said we were “just friends.” Our first real date was at Thai Time during Binghamton Restaurant Week, and we have been together ever since. We’ve now been married for a year.

Jason Smith ’17, MS ‘18 and Taina Smith ‘20

Lost, then found

We met at Binghamton’s new student orientation in 2014 on the way out of a math placement test. I didn’t know how to get back to the Union and asked him for help. We walked back together and ended up hanging out that night. He even won a pizza at an organized bingo event. We stayed friends throughout college, and toward the end of our senior year, we realized there might be something more. We went on our first date after graduation, and the rest is history. We got married on Sept. 6 last year, and all our Binghamton friends were there to celebrate with us. We owe it all to Bing.

Eric Dillon ‘18 and Tara Dillon ‘18

Down the hall to forever

We met in 1999 at Bingham Hall, where Mark lived just down the hall from me in the dorms. We became close friends and began dating in spring 2000. I majored in biology, while Mark studied business. Our first date was at Olive Garden, not far from campus. We’ve been together for 26 years and have been married since 2008. We are the proud parents of two children, Andrew and Julie, ages 14 and 11. Mark works in investor relations at Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, where I previously worked as a molecular biologist. I now work remotely in quality assurance for a software company. We live in the Hudson Valley and enjoy spending our summers in Lewes, Del.

Kristin Hudson ‘02 and Mark Hudson ‘03

A kiss at The Rat

We met through mutual friends, shared our first kiss at The Rat and went on our first date at 205 Dry. Six years later, he is entering the finance field, and I am preparing to graduate with my Doctor of Physical Therapy degree from Stony Brook University.

Annie Trousdell ‘20 and Kyle Diaz ‘20

A boathouse beginning

Jeremy and I met on the rowing team when he was a first-year, and I was a sophomore. We officially met at a Valentine’s Day party hosted by older team members, where we were introduced to the new novice rowers. Not long after, we started talking and stealing glances at each other during our 5 a.m. practices at the boathouse. One of our favorite dates was a run through the Nature Preserve, followed by burritos at the CIW dining hall. That summer, Jeremy drove six and a half hours from his parents’ home near Oswego to visit me on Long Island, and I knew then how much he cared. We officially started dating in the fall of 2019 and have been together ever since. Jeremy proposed on a rowboat in Central Park, a nod to our rowing days, and we were married in October 2025. Today, we live on Long Island with our dog, Blue.

Maria DeKoning ‘21 and Jeremy Samson ‘21

Hall meetings to marriage

Wimer and Jodie met as resident assistants in Newing College in 2006 and have been together ever since. Their first date was at AMC Vestal Town Square, followed by dinner at Applebee’s. They now live in Phoenix and work in the insurance and fundraising fields, respectively. In 2026, they will celebrate 20 years together and 10 years of marriage.

Wimer Alberto ‘09, MS ‘14 and Jodie Gutierrez-Alberto ‘09

It started at Number 5

​​It all started on our first date at Number 5 (IYKYK) in 2004, when we decided to stop denying the inevitable and make our relationship official. After graduating, we began our accounting careers and continued dating until he popped the question in August 2010. A year later, we got married. We welcomed our first princess in December 2014, followed by our second in September 2016. Our love story started at Binghamton. P.S. We hope our girls are future Bearcats.

Ari Minassian ‘05 and Monica Minassian (Sakirsky) ‘07

Where their paths aligned

Matthew and Carolyn met on Binghamton’s cross-country team, where early mornings, long runs and shared goals brought them together. At first, they were just teammates, but when COVID changed campus life in 2020, their team became a close-knit community, and their connection grew stronger. Miles turned into conversations, and conversations turned into something more. After graduation, their path forward felt just as certain as their time on the course. They got engaged soon after and were married in August 2025 – no longer just teammates, but partners in every sense, ready to take on life side by side.

Carolyn Goyden (Burnell) ‘23 and Matthew Goyden ‘21, MA ‘22

10 years in the making

We met early in the fall semester of our first year. After spending a lot of time together with friends, I invited Amanda on our first date to The MarketPlace. We shared a dessert from Tully’s and have been together ever since. We rode Blue Buses, walked the Nature Preserve, bowled poorly, saw orchestras, lived downtown, ran a casino and fell in love. Our wedding is scheduled for October 2026, approximately one month before our 10th anniversary.

Peter Casola ‘20 and Amanda Patenaude ‘20

Summer jobs and shared dreams

William and Juliette met as teenagers while working summer jobs at a country club. He was a lifeguard, and she worked behind the snack bar. They became friends and often chatted about their shared interests when Will stopped by. Will, who was a year older than Juliette, left for Binghamton in August 2003. When Juliette was accepted in 2004, she visited him on campus and soon decided to attend Binghamton as well. After reuniting at their country club jobs in the summer of 2004, they went on their first date, and the rest was history. They attended Binghamton together for the next three years, studying biological sciences and comparative literature and playing in the Binghamton Pep Band. Today, they live in New York City with their two children, Ophira, 4½, and Asher, 19 months. Will is a urologist with Stony Brook Medicine, and Juliette is a doctoral student in the science education program at Teachers College, Columbia University. She also serves as director of K-12 STEM consulting and school support for the nonprofit STEMteachersNYC.

William Berg ’07 and Juliette Guarino Berg ’08

Right place, right time

Doug and I met in the Newing dining hall at the very beginning of our first year. I noticed him in line ahead of me as we waited to enter a mentor meeting for first-year students, and I was instantly attracted to him. When we went into the meeting, we were assigned the same mentor, and Doug sat next to me. We started talking and quickly realized we both lived in Delaware Hall. As we walked back to the dorm afterward, we discovered he lived right below my bedroom. A few days later, I went down to see him, and we decided to go out together that night. We’ve been together ever since. We’ve been married since Oct. 11, 2008, and have two children. Our daughter, an avid dancer, is 14, and our son, who’s into all things sports, is 11. We are both self-employed and raising our family on Long Island in the Great South Bay area. This will be our 27th Valentine’s Day together.

Kristin Yook ‘03 and Doug Yook ‘03

Love runs in the family at Binghamton

David and I met through a dating app, but quickly learned that we had both attended Binghamton and shared mutual friends. The Binghamton Chabad rabbi, Rabbi Levy, even signed the ketubah at our wedding. Alana’s parents also both went to Binghamton and met there – Risa Epstein ’85 and Jon Epstein ’85 – making our connection to the University even more special.

Alana Choueka ‘16 and David Choueka ‘18

From vineyards to vows

We first met in Fall 2013 during our sophomore year. Shortly after, Carl invited Jen to be his date on a wine tour, and the rest was history. We were both in Greek life and made countless memories at mixers, formals and date parties, as well as late nights at JTs, The Rat and C4 for Nite Owl. After graduating, Jen stayed to complete her master’s degree in public administration, beginning seven years of long-distance between Buffalo, Boston, Washington, D.C. and New York City. During that time, Carl completed medical school and residency, while Jen went on to law school. After more than 12 years together, we are now living in New York City and were married in Mexico on Jan. 18, 2026. We’re so thankful for our Binghamton days, and for the wine tour that brought us together.

Jen Pincus ‘16, MPA ‘17 and Carl Hashem ‘16

A cappella to ever after

Lisa was a sophomore when, at her roommate’s encouragement, she attended the Dollar Show – an a cappella showcase held in the lecture halls. When the Binghamtonics took the stage, she noticed a cute guy in a white baseball cap and felt like she had to know him. The next day, she auditioned for the Binghamtonics and made it in. She and Brian officially met outside the Fine Arts building before her first Tonics audition. Brian was sitting on a bench, and she nervously walked up and introduced herself. They started as best friends and eventually fell in love. Today, they live on Long Island, have been married for 14 years and share three children.

Lisa Hershkowitz ‘07 and Brian Hershkowitz ‘06

A connection that lasted

We met through a fraternity and sorority connection with the help of a mutual friend. Our first date was dinner at Scandal’s restaurant and nightclub near Vestal Plaza. We were married in 1992, raised three children, and now live and work in Boca Raton, Fla.

Steven Wolf ‘88 and Ruthellen Egber Wolf ‘88

Wings, walks and a new beginning

We met on campus while my friend Sude and I were walking from the Admissions Center to the bus stop. We were all coming from Turkey, and since ITU and METU were part of the same program, we were heading to the bus stop with friends from METU, and he was with them. Our first date was at Tully’s near UClub. We both ordered wings, which we still love to this day, talked for hours and then walked back to UClub. Back then, the pool sticks and balls were always left out, so we played pool, laughed nonstop and stayed until it got really late. One day, after a long stretch of classes, we decided to study in the UClub common area, since we were both living there. Afterward, he walked me to my room and shared his feelings. That moment marked the beginning of everything. Today, Dora and I are engaged and living together in a tiny house in Miami, Fla., building our life one step at a time.

Ece Karavelioglu ‘24 and Mustafa Dora Demirkir ‘24

When the universe stepped in

Spring 2010 at Binghamton University quietly changed my whole life. I almost skipped an Eating Awareness Committee event about Bigger, Stronger, Faster until my friends convinced me to go. That’s where I first saw him, confidently speaking as the pro bodybuilder on the panel. I worked at the campus gym, and we had mutual friends, yet somehow we’d never met. I remember whispering to my friend, “Wow, he’s so cute,” but I was too nervous to say hi. After that, we kept crossing paths – once out in town, where we flirted without exchanging information, and then again a week later, when we finally talked and couldn’t stop. It felt like the universe kept nudging us together. Within two weeks, he asked me to be his girlfriend. We survived a year of long distance after I graduated, then both found our way to California for graduate school. Years later, after welcoming our baby girl, we moved back to Upstate New York. Somehow, after all this time, we’re still just as in love – if not more.

Casey Loewy ‘10 and Jason Loewy ‘11

A conversation that started it all

Zoë was attempting to make a nonalcoholic sangria in the Dickinson common room when Thomas passed by twice before building up the courage to ask what she was doing. The fruit may have caught his eye, but the conversation kept him hooked. Their first date was spent popping out all the pieces for the game Diplomacy before realizing they needed more people to actually play. They’ve more than made up for that lack of game-time friends by being surrounded by their shared circle ever since – including visiting their friend Maddy in Scotland during her study abroad and joining a dodgeball league together in New York City seven years later. All thanks to the Dickinson common room and a definitely-not sangria.

Zoë Shannon ‘20 and Thomas Tegtmeier ‘20

Always cheering each other on

Evan and I both played sports at Binghamton – Evan played golf, and I played softball. At the time, one of Evan’s teammates needed a roommate, and so did one of my teammates, so they ended up living together. Not long after that, my teammate Laney told me Evan had seen me around campus and was interested. My other teammate, Shelby, immediately started encouraging me to give him a chance. Our first date was at Sugar Lips Ice Cream Shop, where Evan ordered a very boring vanilla milkshake, which I thought was so strange. Not long after, he came to one of my softball games and brought his roommates, who cheered obnoxiously loud for me the entire time. We kept hanging out and continued seeing each other, and eventually, he completely won me over with how caring and sweet he was. Now, three years later, we’re living in Oneonta. Evan is the director of golf at Ouleout Creek Golf Course, and I’m finishing my master’s degree in occupational therapy. We’re still cheering each other on, just in a different way.

Evan Sitts ‘24 and Chloe Morgan ‘23

Shared adventures

Kayla and I met in Peru on a trip with Binghamton’s chapter of MEDLIFE. When we returned, we bonded over organic chemistry and continued our friendship. Six months later, we started dating, and seven years later, we’re now engaged.

Renate Gerstenberger ‘21 and Kayla Principe ‘20

From the weight room to real love

We met during our very last semester. Eve needed to get her physical education credit done and wanted to take yoga, but it was full. She decided to try her hand at weightlifting in the class Wellness Through Weight Training. Michael was the TA for that class, and on the first day of class, Eve was infatuated with him. We got to know each other throughout the semester, but were hesitant to start dating because, after graduation, we were going to opposite sides of New York state. We decided to part ways after graduation, but that only lasted three months before Michael reached out again. We decided to start dating and have been doing long distance for over a year. We just returned from our first vacation together.

Eve Albert ‘24 and Michael Pitta ‘24

The open door

Mike and I met in old Endicott during its final year before closing. We were part of different friend groups, but I instantly wanted Mike to notice me. He was your classic engineer type who, according to him, “had no interest in a girlfriend,” and I was your classic social nursing major, and very persistent. On my way back from class, I made sure to take the stairwell that passed Mike’s room instead of the one that led straight to my dorm. He always left his door open, and I would stop in to talk. One day, he even told me, “I leave my door open for ventilation, not people,” but that didn’t stop me. We kept hanging out in group settings, especially playing pool in the Endicott Commons. When I was frustrated over Chem 107, Mike stayed up late helping me, still insisting he wasn’t interested in a girlfriend. A few days after I mentioned wanting a pumpkin to carve, he biked to Lowe’s and bought one for me. That’s when I stopped believing the “no girlfriend” line. We officially started dating on Oct. 23, 2010, after I asked, “Am I your girlfriend?” and he replied, “I think so.” We were married in 2018 and welcomed our now 2½-year-old in 2023. Today, we’ve traveled internationally, are thriving in our careers and remain close with three other couples from our old Endicott floor who also ended up getting married.

Jessica Milnikiewicz (maiden Pyne) ‘14 and Michael Milnikiewicz ‘13

Friends first, forever after

We became friends while living in Hinman College, but we didn’t start dating until years later. Fred invited me to a wedding as his date, and that marked the beginning of our relationship and our 23-year marriage. We have two beautiful daughters. Our older daughter is studying neuroscience at Duke University, and our younger daughter is studying engineering and applied mathematics at Northwestern University. Our fur babies complete our Westchester home. We have both been with our companies for more than 20 years. I teach English at Riverside High School, and Fred is an engineer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. We love taking long walks along the Hudson, catching up with old friends, biking on nearby trails, snorkeling on faraway beaches and spending weekends in New York City, Boston and Chicago.

Marlene Gold-Balin ‘92 and Fred Balin ‘93

Love across two continents

Although both of us were born in Mumbai, India, we met for the first time at Binghamton. Overseas students usually host new students for a few days before they can find their own place, and Madhuri’s host happened to be my undergraduate classmate. That’s how I ended up meeting her at her host’s apartment. For me, it was love at first sight, and eventually, both of us fell in love with each other. We have so many fond memories of campus – spending time between classes, having coffee in my research lab, riding the bus back to our off-campus housing, and grabbing lunch or dinner at the Union. We still love visiting campus from time to time and returning to the same places where we made such wonderful memories.

Sumeet Kumar PhD ‘08 and Madhuri Telang

Chicken fingers and forever

Trevor and I met when we were 16 at one of my high school volleyball tournaments. He originally came to see my teammate, whom he had a crush on (LOL), but ended up asking for my number instead. We started texting on our BlackBerry and Voyager phones, pre-smartphone days. He soon asked me out, and we went on our first date to TGI Fridays, where we both ordered chicken fingers and fries and saw 17 Again in theaters. From then on, we became high school sweethearts. We chose different colleges – Trevor went to Binghamton, and I went to SUNY New Paltz – and did long-distance during our first year. I later transferred to Binghamton after falling in love with the campus and joining the competitive women’s club volleyball team. It didn’t hurt that we were finally no longer long-distance. We stayed together throughout college and graduated in 2015. We got engaged in 2017 and married in 2019, where we shared our first meal as husband and wife – chicken fingers and fries. In 2022, we adopted our sweet pit bull mix, Zoey, and soon after, welcomed our first son in 2023 and our second in 2025. Binghamton helped us grow into young adults, and we’re so grateful for the memories we made there together. Thank you, Binghamton, for being part of our love story.

Trevor Hartblay ‘15 and Rachel Hartblay (Laines) ‘15

A second chance at love

Our story began in Fall 2015, when Alex and I were classmates in the Pell Honors Program. We bonded over growing up in Queens, our big families and our shared love of shih tzus, but the timing wasn’t right. I planned to attend law school out of state, and Alex was returning to Queens after graduation. Everything changed the following summer. I chose law school on Long Island, Alex asked me on a “redo” first date, and we’ve been inseparable ever since. We officially became a couple on Oct. 2, 2016, and spent the next four years back in school – I earned a JD/MPH, and Alex completed a second degree in computer science. After graduation, we moved in together and returned to Binghamton for the summer. In April 2022, Alex proposed in front of Bartle Library during Spring Fling, and we were married in April 2023. Today, we have a beautiful family and two dogs – of course, both shih tzus.

Jean Mancheno ‘16 and Alex Mancheno ‘16

Reconnected by chance

We first met in Oneida in College-in-the-Woods in 2015, and our first date was at the Chipotle next to UClub. Things didn’t work out for us at Binghamton, but years later, we both separately – and unknowingly – moved to Colorado. Through complete chance, we reconnected and have now been together for almost three years and are planning our wedding. We thank Binghamton and the red string theory every day!

Kylie Palmer ‘19 and Andy Goldbloom ‘19, MSED ‘22

Paired up for life

We met during senior year at a sorority and fraternity mixer and were paired together for the theme. We spent the night talking, and a few weeks later, we went on our first date at the Lost Dog. Although we were both in the School of Management, we never had a class together during our time at Binghamton. We had crossed paths before, but never spoken until that fraternity party. Our first date led to many more, and we were soon inseparable. After graduation, we spent several years in a long-distance relationship before getting engaged and moving in together in Manhattan. We were married in 2006 and later moved to Great Neck, where we welcomed our daughter, followed by our son three years later. Nearly 20 years later, we now live on Long Island with our children and dog.

Hillary Fingerhut ‘02 and Steve Goldblatt ‘02

An unexpected welcome story

I joined the master’s program in biomedical engineering in Spring 2015 and was assigned a host through Binghamton’s Indian Graduate Student Organization to stay with for a few days until I found housing. I arrived at my host’s home on my first day in the United States and met her right away. While she introduced herself, her housemate helped carry my bags – and that housemate turned out to be my future husband. We quickly formed an instant connection that grew through lunches at C4 after his shifts, study sessions (and flirting) in Bartle Library and long waits together at the Union bus stop. Over time, we moved houses and even states – sometimes separately – but our love stayed strong through it all. Our wedding was postponed twice during COVID before we finally married in 2022. Today, we have a beautiful 9-month-old son, and we can’t wait to show him where his parents first fell in love.

Mridu Malik PhD ‘20 and Sanket Goje MS ‘16

A Dickinson beginning

Ali and Matt met during their first year when they were both placed on the fifth floor of O’Connor in Dickinson. Matt became friends with other students on the floor while playing pickup basketball and noticed Ali across the room at their first-floor meeting, but he was a bit too shy to approach her. When they ended up in the same friend group, Ali quickly took a liking to Matt as well and came up with excuses – obvious in hindsight – to join group hangouts when she knew he would be there. After a night out on Halloween, the rest was history. They spent their four years together racking up trivia wins at Tom & Marty’s, having dinners with friends at Twin River Commons and pretending the Binghamton winter wasn’t that cold. Today, Ali and Matt have been together for more than 11 years, navigating family tensions, COVID-19 quarantines, and the ups and downs of adult life. They are looking forward to their wedding in May and celebrating with their closest friends, many of them fellow Binghamton alumni.

Ali Goldberg ‘18 and Matt Britton ‘18

From CIW to the Jersey Shore

We met during our first year in College in the Woods – Meghan lived in Seneca, and Zak lived in Oneida. During our senior year, we both lived off campus on Seminary Avenue. We were just friends in college, but in 2009, Zak tagged along on a trip to Meghan’s parents’ house at the Jersey Shore, and we started dating soon after. We moved in together in Brooklyn in 2011, got married in 2014, and welcomed two sons – one in 2016 and one in 2021. We had more than 20 Binghamton graduates at our wedding, proof that there were many Binghamton love stories in the room. Today, we live in Staten Island with our sons, Danny and Henry. Zak is a college professor at Montclair State University, and Meghan is an assistant principal with New York City Public Schools in Brooklyn.

Meghan Sciannameo ‘06 and Zachary Aidala ‘06

Studying led to love

We met at a Phi Sigma fraternity party. She was Jewish, and we had many mutual friends. Our first date was at the library – we were both neuroscience majors, so we studied chemistry together, no pun intended. We’ve now been married for five years this August and have two children: Miriam, 8 months, and Asher, 2.

Rachel Scharf ‘18 and Jacob Scharf ‘17

Connected by Binghamton

We met at work in Yonkers while working for Montefiore Medical Center – not quite at Binghamton – but soon learned we had Binghamton in common. That shared connection sparked our friendship. After about three years of knowing each other, he asked me out on a date the day before Valentine’s Day. We got married in 2022 and welcomed our beautiful baby girl in 2025. We now live in Upstate New York and hope to bring our daughter to Binghamton when she gets older.

David Miller ‘09 and Amanda Miller(Lemieux) MS ‘19

Love over literature

We met through mutual friends at the Lost Dog Cafe in 1995. At the time, Darlene was taking a gap year after graduating from Binghamton University with a BA in 1994, but had enrolled that spring to study English and secondary education. Jesse was working toward his MA in English with a concentration in creative writing, followed by his doctorate in English. The night we met, we sat in the cafe, oblivious to our friends and the busy world around us, and quickly bonded over Gabriel García Márquez and Baudelaire. Our first date was a movie at the Art Theater, followed by Jesse showing off his cooking skills – a definite plus for the cooking-illiterate Darlene. As we continued our English graduate studies, we often found ourselves in class together, passing notes like children. We even announced our engagement in Susan Strehle’s contemporary fiction class, and Dr. Strehle was kind enough to attend our wedding in 1999. Today, we live in northwest Indiana, where Jesse is a tenured associate professor at Purdue University Northwest, and Darlene is a lecturer. We have one daughter, two cats and decades of love.

Dr. Jesse Cohn PhD ‘99 and Ms. Darlene Cohn MAT ‘97, MA ‘98

A night under the stars

We met at one of our mutual friends’ Binghamton potlucks. We were friendly and exchanged contact information to play video games together. Later that night, Mohammad texted Janna, and we’ve been talking ever since. Our first date was on a summer night, when we went on a long drive in his convertible, blasted music and sang along. We ended the night stargazing on top of a mountain and talking for hours. Eventually, we introduced each other to our families. Now, we’re one year into our marriage, which began on Jan. 1, 2025.

Mohammad A PhD ‘26 and Janna N ‘23

Love in Lecture Hall 9

We met in a class in Lecture Hall 9 in 1982. We started dating on Valentine’s Day in 1983 and got engaged in 1984 – right back in the Lecture Hall. We have now been happily married for 40 years.

Jess Lorden ‘83 and David Lorden ‘84

Smith Hall to soulmates

Maria was a sophomore in the fall of 1984, and I was a first-year student who knew nobody at Binghamton. Early in the semester, Maria and her roommate came to my suite in Smith (Hinman) and convinced me to get the heck off the lonely couch, where I was reading and come to a party. Nothing happened then, but within a couple of months, I gravitated toward her and somehow convinced her to pay attention to me. It all came together when I visited her in Rockville Centre in July 2013, where we watched Live Aid on the TV and got food poisoning at Red Lobster. After that, how could we not stay together? After a long stint in different grad schools, we married in 1996 and have two kids (ages 24 and 19 now). I am the Biology Laboratory Director at Hofstra University, and Maria is an artist; we live in Babylon, N.Y.

Chris Boyko ‘88 and Maria Spector ‘87

Emma Young works for the Office of Media and Public Relations as a digital content producer and is a senior majoring in English with a minor in education. She plans to pursue a career in public relations. In her free time, she enjoys baking, reading and writing.