Are you and your spouse both UGA Alums? In honor of Valentine's Day, the UGA Alumni Association would like to hear about your love story.
This page is solely devoted to your responses. Read often - you may recognize someone you know.
Send pictures and information to Amber Mangle '03 and be sure to post on our Class Notes as well. Click here to view last year's sweetheart stories.
The Bookworm and Basketball Player
My name is Nancy (Miller) Varner (AB '73). For the past decade Valentine's Day has been a bittersweet holiday for me since my husband, Terry Miles Varner (BS '73) passed away Feb. 14, 1997. Terry was a third generation Bulldog, whose dad, Aubrey Varner worked for many years as a county agent In Fayette County, Ga. with the University of Georgia Extension Services. The job pretty much obligated Terry to be involved in 4-H as a teen, which he enjoyed, although sports were always his main interest. I grew up in neighboring Rockdale County, Ga. and, as the product of many generations of farmers, was also a willingly obligatory 4-H member, although teaching was my intended profession.
Terry and I were both selected as representatives of our respective clubs to the District 4-H Conference at Rock Eagle the summer after ninth grade. Terry's best friend, the now renowned and always outgoing, Walter Reeves, was also there as a representative from Fayette County and the first afternoon, with his trademark easy-going humor, had chivalrously rescued me and a friend from the overly-amorous attentions of some older guys. My friend was instantly smitten by Walter's charm and laid "claim" to him for the duration of the conference, so Walter introduced me to Terry to keep things friendly all around. The tall, gangly basketball-player and I, a petite bookworm, eyed each other somewhat dubiously for a while, but chemistry finally clicked in at the final evening square dance. Afterwards, Terry walked me back to my cabin and talked about his intentions to play either basketball or baseball for the Bulldogs someday; he also bemoaned the fact that, as elder brother to three sisters, he was apprehensive about the impending birth that fall of another sibling, which he was sure would be yet another little girl (he was right). Terry desperately longed for a baby brother with whom he was sure he could eventually find much more in common than with a bunch of "girly-girls." I wasn't offended since I was totally sympathetic to his need for balance in the family. I'd spent a decade as the only daughter while my parents persisted in supplying me with younger brothers before a baby sister finally came along, to my great relief. I was also quite flattered by the now enthusiastic and obviously intelligent loquaciousness of this cute and previously rather aloof and quiet jock.
Hard as this may be to comprehend, in the mid-sixties it was actually long-distance to telephone between many counties in what is now all part of metro-Atlanta, so Terry and I didn't have any convenient way to keep in touch after Rock Eagle, although Walter was into having pen-pals for a while and occasionally wrote to me with news of and greetings from Terry. We all soon abandoned 4-H for more college-prep activities, so no longer had that connection either, although we did meet up a couple more times during high school at Beta Club district gatherings, and Walter and I both attended GHP the summer of 1968. I found out he and Terry planned to room together at UGA when they entered in 1969. The next summer, I received a quick call (it was still long-distance, remember) from Walter who was quite agitated by the combination of disbelief at not having been chosen for UGA's prestigious and selective Freshman Camp designed to identify and encourage future campus leaders, but also immense delight that the Terry-and-Nancy couple he prided himself on having put together would be reunited and once more at Rock Eagle of all places.
Destiny seems to have then taken over, for Terry and I immediately met up again at Freshman Camp, since we were housed in adjacent cabins, and quickly progressed from dating regularly to an exclusive relationship by the end of our first year at Georgia. Terry was even playing basketball for the Dawgs, having made the freshman team as a walk-on on his eighteenth birthday in October, which we discovered was only a couple of days after my own - we were obviously meant to be! So much so, in fact, that we felt compelled to take the plunge into marriage the summer before our senior year at UGA, and hastily put together a small, sweet ceremony held in August of 1972 at the Baptist Student Center on campus, where we had both been involved in choir and other activities. Because of an out-of-town summer job, Walter wasn't sure about his ability to be in attendance at the wedding, so he wasn't in our little wedding party, but he did turn up right after the ceremony - late because he'd been unable to resist stopping in the popular record store (Peaches?) he passed on the way to pick up the newest Alman Brothers album! We had to forgive him though, because he brought us such a terrific wedding gift, a souvenir plate depicting the Rock Eagle Chapel, which to this day still hangs in my kitchen!
More than forty years have passed since that first fateful summer at Rock Eagle, and 2007 would have been the 35th anniversary year of our wedding, except that Terry died of metastatic melanoma a few months before our silver anniversary. Terry and I both became teachers in his hometown of Fayetteville after graduating from UGA and Terry coached basketball and golf there as well for a couple of years before entering medical school in Augusta, Ga. His internship, residency, and early E.R. positions kept us out-of-state for a while, but the lure of the Dawgs and all other things Georgia eventually brought us back and Terry, until his death, was an E.R. physician at Northside Hospital in Atlanta. Our proudest achievement together of course was our two sons and two daughters (we succeeded in producing a "balanced" family). Our second son is currently a senior at UGA, majoring in psychology and ardently supporting the Bulldogs. Incidentally, all four of those once unappreciated sisters of Terry's became very dear to both of us, and are UGA grads too--the dreaded baby sister is currently a PhD. candidate in the process of restoring her historic home near Athens.
I still miss Terry every day, but am blessed with countless good memories of our years together, and many of these center around UGA--thanks for the opportunity to reminisce and share our story!
Love of Athens Brings Bulldog Sweethearts Together
My husband, Tom Nelson '75 and I, Beth Graves Nelson '77 are both from Savannah, Ga., but met at UGA in 1974. We met through mutual friends, and saw each other at parties and around campus, but did not date. We both moved back to Savannah after graduation and ran into each other one summer night. We both missed Athens, and the attraction we had at first was just being able to relive our fun college days with someone who was there. We started dating and were married on April 11, 1981. We will soon celebrate 27 years of marriage. Our two children are current Bulldogs. Our son, Kerry, is a senior and our daughter Rachel, is a freshman. We really enjoy having the opportunity to visit Athens and relive our memories. Kerry and Rachel are a little tired of riding by our former homes and listening to our stories. I am glad they have the opportunity to go to such a great school and I hope one day they will share their UGA stories with their children.
Second Time's the Charm for Amanda W. and Matt Hene
My husband Matt and I were introduced by mutual friends, Katie (Johnson) and Jacob Stull. Matt had just graduated the semester before and I was finishing up my last semester. Both of us had recently ended relationships and while neither of us thought we were ready to jump into another committed relationship, we were both interested in the idea of meeting someone new. Katie told me about how funny and cute Matt was and Jacob talked me up as being one of Katie's good friends and the kind of Christian girl Matt should be looking for. On the morning of our introduction, I woke up with pink eye. Despite the diagnosis from the UGA Health Center, Jacob was somehow able to convince Matt that I was worth the risk of contracting the virus and so the two drove to Athens to meet up with us girls. Matt and I hit it off right away and the next couple months we drove back and forth from Atlanta, (where Matt was already working) and Athens, (where I was finishing up college). We had fun getting to know each other and casually dating.
Although there was never an actual break up, we drifted apart and dated other people. Even though we were not together as a couple, we frequently saw each other because of many mutual friends...we even walked down the aisle together in Katie and Jacob's wedding. Deep down we knew there was always a possibility of a future together and after a trip to the beach with friends in March of 2005, we decided to give the dating thing another try...this time it worked! We were married June 2, 2007 in Dunwoody, GA and are enjoying our first year of marriage. Matt is employed as an Account Executive at McGriff, Seibels and Williams and I am a sales representative for Corporate Payroll Services. We live in Dunwoody and have an American Bulldog named Walker. During the Fall, you can find us in Athens on most weekends. Go Dawgs!
Weight Room Romance
Matt McCormick (MeD '94, BS '91) and Heather Stepp McCormick (MeD '96, Bba '94) met in the old Stegeman Coliseum weight room. Matt was a graduate assistant to the strength and conditioning coach and recently finished his eligbility playing football for the Bulldogs, while Heather was on the gymnastics team. Their first date was at the Ole Spaghetti Store on Broad Street followed by some fun at the Odyssey bar which was located across from the Georgia Theatre.
Matt and Heather were married in 1994 in Heather's hometown of Michigan surrounded by family as well as their Bulldog family, friends and teammates. Currently residing in Roswell, Ga., Matt and Heather have two future Bulldogs - Shane (6) and Wade (4) - who love attending home football games and gymnastics meets, of course!!
"Speaking" of Love
Laurie Elizabeth Iski and Ivan Alexis Rios met in speech class during their sophomore year at UGA. We dated on and off, and remained friends until our senior year when we began dating seriously. Since we both graduated with Psychology degrees from the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences, we were able to experience graduation together in the spring of 2002. We stood side by side in Sanford Stadium when we "turned our tassels," and prepared for life after college. Five years later, we stood side by side in front of the altar and united in marriage. We were married 2006 at Ashford Manor in Watkinsville, just outside of Athens. Since we both fell in love with the city of Athens, we decided to make it our home. We have two Labrador Retrievers. A chocolate, named Winston, and a black, named for the legendary (Larry) Munson. We plan to extend our beautiful family soon. Every Saturday in the fall, without fail, you will find us cheering on the Dawgs and remembering when we fell in love on our beautiful campus.
Bulldog Sweethearts from the Start
My husband, Brad, and I attended the same church for several years then started "going together" when I was in 9th grade and he was in 8th. We dated through high school, through two years at Abraham Baldwin College in Tifton, Ga. and then through our years at the University of Georgia. We married Sept. 1, 1990, after dating for eight years and we lived in Athens another five years before moving home to Tifton. Our wedding was red and black and we made sure Georgia did NOT have a home game that weekend! Brad had a Georgia Bulldog groom's cake and our "departure attire" was - you guessed it - red and black. We have season tickets and attend all home games. My parents, sister - brother-in-law, and brother - sister-in-law all attended the University of Georgia as well. We bleed red and black and are more in love with each other and the dawgs than we've ever been. GO Dawgs!
Sandra Moretz
BSHE 1989
FRIENDS FIRST
My wife Ashwini and I are both UGA alumni of the graduate school. I am a year 2000 graduate (MBA) and she is a fresh graduate from Dec 2006 (Ph.D. Pharmacy). She and I met as part of hanging out together in the Indian friends circle. We lived in the same apartment complex (Jamestown North on South Milledge) a few doors from each other. Needless to say, we always found ourselves hanging out with each other. In that sense, our story was quite different from the rest in that we never dated; our love grew through friendship for about a year and a half. We had some specific locations that we always considered as a symbol of our love and spent hours together with nature enjoying each other's company and discussing the past, present and future.
We married in Dec 2003, and just completed 3 years of our marriage. We just bought our first home and second car, and are living lives very happily in East Athens itself.
-Yash '00
TWO DAWG FANS
Darryl Johnson (class of 1970) and Diane Johnson (class of 1982) were obviously not at UGA at the same time, but their love of UGA was one of their common loves that brought them together. While Diane was working for Ford Motor Company calling on Ford Dealers, a mutual Dealer friend introduced her to Darryl while at a meeting in Augusta. The primary topic at that first meeting was their love of Georgia football. Later that fall, Diane came to a UGA football game where she hosted several of her fellow Ford co-workers who had no idea what true southern college football was like. While at the game, Diane and her friends stopped by a tailgate hosted by one of her Dealers where she met Darryl again. Happily Georgia won that day and shortly after that game, Darryl and Diane began dating with their first date being the Peach Bowl in Atlanta in 1989. Darryl and Diane married in 1991 and Diane moved back to the Athens area where Darryl's dealership is located. Diane worked for BellSouth Mobility/Cingular Wireless and was instrumental in forging a strong relationship with UGA Athletics while at Cingular. Darryl's youngest daughter, Natalie, cheered at UGA 2 years and will be graduating with an undergraduate degree in Spanish and is currently in her first year of Pharmacy school at UGA while Diane's son, Josh, is in his second year at UGA. So as you can see, Diane and Darryl's mutual love of Georgia is even being passed on to their children. Diane now currently works for the alumni association as the Associate Executive Director of Membership and the Atlanta Center where her love for Georgia can also resonate in her work. Diane and Darryl are both Life Members of the Alumni Association and Josh and Natalie are student members of the association.
-Diane Johnson '82
MILKSHAKE LEADS TO A DATE
My husband, Rick Tamplin (BBA '75), and I (Carol Robbins Tamplin, BS Pharmacy '78) both grew up in the same neighborhood in Calhoun, but he was three years older than me, so he never knew I was on the planet. We bumped into each other a few times while at UGA, but he doesn't even remember it. (How insulting!) I was in my final year of pharmacy school and doing part of my internship in an old-fashioned drug store in Dalton. Rick, already graduated, had started his career in insurance and was working at an agency right around the corner. The first day I worked at the store, Rick came in to get a milkshake at the soda fountain. 
He kept glancing back at me, but never spoke. The next day, he came in for another milkshake, but that day, he came back and asked me for a date. We were married nine months later. We now have two daughters, the older of which, Julianne Robbins Tamplin, is a freshman at UGA.
-Carol Robbins Tamplin, BS Pharmacy '78
DATED ALL THROUGH COLLEGE
My wife and I both graduated from UGA in 1970, but our relationship actually goes back to first grade- which is quite corny and a bit incidental, as we didn't start dating until our junior year in high school. We continued to date during our time at UGA (1966-70) and were married in 1971. During our days in Athens, I lived off campus after my sophmore year, but she lived and worked at Creswell Hall for several of those years. Those years seemed tough at the time, but we know that they prepared us for our various careers- which for me were spent 23 years in banking and the past 3 years of owning my own loan brokerage business. Annette taught high school for 3 years after graduation, then spent over 20 years as fulltime mother to our 3 children before starting a special events business with several of her friends about 6 years ago. Our primary contact with UGA is now through our son, Knox, who is 24, and is a graduate assistant in the music school and is getting his Masters Degree as a member of "Bulldog Brass".
-Charles O. Summerour BBA '70
Rachel Annette Knox Summerour BS. Ed. '70
HALF-TIME PROPOSAL
Chad Thompson (BBA '02) proposed to Elizabeth Pittman (ABJ '02) on November 27 at the Georgia/Georgia Tech game during halftime on the big-screen.
Chad made arrangements for us to sit in the east end zone so I could see the big-screen. From our alumni season tickets we cannot see the scoreboard or big-screen, but I didn't think anything of the change. Throughout the first half of the game the rain was pouring down on us. Chad made sure I wore my raincoat and I wore a plastic poncho but I was still soaked! He had to work really hard to keep me out there. When I noticed the bands were not taking the field for halftime, because of the weather, I was ready to go. As the Georgia Tech band finished their performance the rain stopped and the sky turned bright. The Redcoat Band began to play and Chad focused my attention toward the big-screen. As I looked up the screen changed, it read, "Elizabeth Muriel Pittman Will you marry me? Chad Thompson." I looked over to where Chad had been standing and I had to look down, he was on one knee holding an open box. As he proposed I slipped on the ring. We were both so happy as the group of UGA fans around us applauded. Chad had planned everything; my family was watching at home in hopes of catching a glimpse of the screen, Chad's friends were standing behind us taking pictures and none of my friends would leave the game with me because they were all waiting for the big moment. He gave us both another wonderful memory while at the University of Georgia!
Chad and I met over two years ago while working at Loco's Deli and Pub on the eastside of Athens. The wedding is planned for winter 2006, maybe even on-campus!
Elizabeth is the Advancement Coordinator at Atlanta College of Art, Woodruff Arts Center. Chad is the Program Specialist for Quality Care for Children, Atlanta.
- Chad Thompson (BBA '02)
Elizabeth Pittman (ABJ '02)
ON THE ROAD TO LOVE
My husband was my UGA Bus Driver!
Fifteen years ago, my husband and I were attending the UGA. It was my first day as a junior and coincidentally my first year at Georgia, as I had transferred from a smaller school. Needless to say, I was a bit overwhelmed with the 30,000+ students, but felt the need to be "mature" about my new surroundings as I was "no freshman," you understand!
The morning of my first day, I boarded the Family Housing bus, which picked up right behind my Milledgeville townhouse. No problems that morning - but by the afternoon with an armful of books from the Tate Center, I was completely overwhelmed. I walked up to the driver - after boarding who knows how many East/West and Orbit buses to get there - and asked could he please stop by the area closest to my town house that wasn't an official "bus stop."
He replied with a big, fat "against school rules" statement and made me carry my books from the official bus stop all the way over to my townhouse. We kept bumping into each other on the bus when one day he asked for my number. That was December 5th, 1989, and we've been together ever since (we were married in November of 1991). I later found out that he just wanted to see what townhouses that I would walk to every day and he couldn't see that anywhere but from the bus stop. I'm pretty sure the "school rule" thing didn't have a lot to do with it!
Who would have thought that you could find true love on the Family Housing Bus?! We're die-hard Bulldawg fans - and teaching our kids to do the same!
- Kimbrel Arculeo
DISAGREED IN POLITICS BUT AGREED IN LOVE
My husband, Reuben Luckie Rockwell, III (B.A. 03), and I, Erin Elizabeth Carroll (B.A. 03), met our freshman year at the UGA Episcopal Center on Lumpkin. We had some mutual friends, and were friendly whenever we saw each other, but neither of us considered any kind of romantic relationship - until our sophomore year. One Wednesday evening we were arguing over politics and the rest, as they say, was history.
We started dating soon after that (our first official date was the 2000 Tennessee game - what a thrilling start!) and dated all through college. We both received Bachelor of Arts degrees in 2003, and moved home to start saving some money for the future we knew was coming. Ben proposed on March 20, 2004 in the Founder's Garden, and we were married July 24, 2004 at the Episcopal Center. We are now living in Alexandria, Virginia, where Ben is earning a Masters in Divinity at Virginia Theological Seminary. All of our non-Georgia friends make fun of our UGA-themed apartment, but those who went here or who grew up Dawg fans understand. We hope someday to make it back to Athens permanently.
-Erin Carroll Rockwell (BA '03)
-Ben Rockwell (BA '03)
WHO CAN SAY NO TO THE JUMBOTRON?
I, Becky Greenspan (A.B. '99, MNPO '02), and my fiancee Shawn Slemons (BBA '98) never knew each other in college, but we almost met in 1997 when Shawn's roommate (Vincent Mayo, AB '98) and I had a drama class together that required rehearsal. We happened to meet at my apartment instead of his, where I would have met Shawn.
Five years later, I'd just finished my master's and was getting ready to move back home to Savannah when another UGA alum and mutual friend, Josh Gandy (BFCS '02), tricked Shawn and I into meeting one Saturday night at our favorite bar in Athens, the Manhattan. Shawn and I hit it off immediately and talked until late in the night, then the next day Shawn returned home to Columbus. We spent many hours on the phone every night the next week, and he came to Athens that Friday to take me out. Shawn moved to Savannah in July 2003, and the rest is history.
We started dating right before the 2002 football season, which was when we won the SEC Championship. (We're convinced that the greatness of that season helped us fall in love.)
By the end of that season, Shawn was joking that I should keep my eye on the Jumbotron at halftime. During the next season, he was even more pushy about watching the Jumbotron during halftime. By the third season, I was actually ready to get married, and getting engaged via the Jumbotron had become our personal joke.
On Sept. 30, 2004, Shawn and I went to a nice dinner and then to the beach for ice cream. He'd been in Athens the weekend before without me, so it was nice to have some alone time on a Thursday night. As we were walking on the beach, he turned to me and asked, "Did I show you the picture I got in Athens last weekend?" I said that he hadn't, so he produced a piece of paper from his pocket. On the paper was a photo of the Jumbotron, and where the graphics would be normally, he'd Photoshopped in some words: "Becky, I love you more than words can say. I'm using the Jumbotron to share it with the world. Will you marry me? Love, Shawn"
My jaw dropped and I turned to him. He'd gotten down on one knee and taken out the prettiest ring I've ever seen, then he asked if I would marry him. Who can say no to the Jumbotron?
Our wedding is set for June 12, 2005 in Savannah.
-Becky Greenspan (A.B. '99, MNPO '02)
-Shawn Slemons (BBA '98)
THREE GENERATIONS OF UGA GRADUATES
Jack Holmes Usher (AB '48) (JD '54) and Joan Chambers Usher (ABJ '53) met on a blind date arranged by a mutual friend for the G-Day game in the Spring of 1951. We were married in August 1952. Joan finished her last year of college and Jack finished his last 5 quarters of Law School. Our 50th anniversary was celebrated with our four children, their spouses and grandchildren, at a dinner at the First City Club given by our children.
All of our children graduated from the University. Joan Wesley Usher (ABJ 7'5), Winnifred Usher Morgan(BSHE '79), Jack H (Chip) Usher, Jr (BBA '82) Joseph Chambers Usher (ABJ '94) ( MMC '95). Jack was a Sigma Chi. Joan was a Chi Omega. After Jack graduated from Law School we came back to Savannah where Jack praticed law for about 40 years before retiring in 1994. He served as City Attorney in the first Republican administration in Savannah in over a hundred years.
Three generations are graduates: Dr Charles Usher (AB '05) (MD '08), Judge Gordon W. Chambers (JD '23), Joan and Jack and our four children.
Going back to Athens is always exciting and brings back a lot of memories. We are hoping that some of our grandchildren follow the tradition.
-Jack Holmes Usher (AB '48) (JD '54)
Picture taken at Joan and Jack's 50th Wedding Anniversary.
Front: Joan Chambers Usher '53, Jack Holmes Usher '48, '54
Back (l-r) Joseph Chambers Usher '94, '95, Jack H "Chip" Usher, Jr. '82, Winnifred Usher Morgan '79, Joan Wesley Usher '75
REDCOATS BROUGHT THEM TOGETHER
My husband (Charles Cheney, BBA 1973) and I (Pat Kight Cheney, BSHE 1975) met in the UGA Dixie Redcoat Band in 1971. I was a freshman; he was a junior. I spotted him the second day of band camp. He marched behind me in the pre-game formation. I noticed him because he was practicing with no shoes on. As the practice continued, I noticed that he was cute. Since he was older, I figured I would never have a chance to meet him. The following night the band had a "mixer" to give everyone a chance to meet each other. As a get-acquainted activity, we were given a sheet of paper listing facts about different members of the band. We had to walk around, find and meet the person that matched each fact on the sheet. Charles came up and asked me if I had a 19" waist. Unfortunately, I was not the person with a 19" waist, but we met each other and started talking. We dated for the remainder of our college careers and got married June 28, 1975, two weeks after I graduated. The Redcoats brought us together; we probably would have never met if we had not been in the band together.
In 1981, our daughter Kathryn was born. Kathryn attended UGA and marched in the Georgia Redcoat Band for four years, graduating summa cum laude as a University of Georgia "First Honor Graduate" in 2003 with a BMUS degree in trumpet performance. She was a "Battle Hymn" soloist for three years, and was co-section leader her last junior and senior years. Charles, Kathryn and I marched together in the Redcoat Alumni Band for the first time this past October. Being a Redcoat was a special experience for all three of us.
-Charles Cheney, BBA 1973 and Pat Kight Cheney, BSHE 1975
PROPOSAL ON CAMPUS
My name: Jim Croft UGA graduate, BS Business Adm. 1985.
My wife: Arlene Carr Croft UGA graduate, BS Journalism/Mass Communications, 1985.
I proposed to her on Campus in September 1983. We were married September 1, 1984 in Athens. We reenacted the proposal when we visited Athens and toured the campus in 2003.
UGA will always have a special place in our hearts because so many important memories were made there. More than 20 years later, God is still blessing our marriage. I am thankful for the love of my life, my joy and life long partner in this journey of life.
-Jim Croft
MET AT THE CATHOLIC CENTER
Cristen Wetherbee was born in Chicago, IL, but was raised in Marietta, GA. So, not born a southern gal, but definately part of the G.R.I.T.S. sisterhood. (Girls Raised In The South) I'm 24 years old, graduate of the University of Georgia with a degree in Economics, currently in law school at Mercer University in Macon, GA, set to graduate in May 2006. I enjoy reading, movies, working-out, and cooking. My passion is supporting the Lupus Foundation of America, a charity dedicated to helping lupus patients and finding a cure for the disease. I'm a lupus patient, and have been for 2 years, and I love the work the Lupus Foundation is doing for us!
Michael Dutcher was born and raised in Tifton, GA, about 1.5 hours north of the Florida border, a tiny town with a big heart. I'm 24 years old and after graduating from the University of Georgia with a degree in Recreation Management, I got a job here in town as Program Coordinator for the Tift County Recreation Department. Now I'm doing a similar job for the City of Macon, GA recreation department. I organize summer day camp, holiday activities, sports tournaments, and senior events. After work, I enjoy playing tennis, playing classical piano, working-out, and watching movies.
We met at a student organization at the University of Georgia called the Catholic Center. It wasn't exactly love at first sight, as we both were dating other people when we met, but we became friends and hung out together all the time! After breaking up with our significant others, and a year of best friendship, Michael took the plunge and asked Cristen out! The best relationships start as friendships.
February 1st is Michael's birthday, so Cristen was at his house to celebrate in 2002. After a long night of movie watching, Cristen was looking forward to sleeping in, but Michael woke her up at 8:00AM under the guise of 'wanting to start his birthday celebration'. So, Cristen begrudgingly went to have breakfast with Michael. When she got to the kitchen no one was there, but Michael's laptop was open on the table to a PowerPoint presentation. Cristen looked at it and saw it was a slide show of pictures from their 3 years of dating with commentary from Michael. The end of the show was a question, 'What will the future be?' to find out Cristen had to go on a scavenger hunt to find Michael. The scavenger hunt led her around the house, at each clue was a red rose for her, and the last rose was in the garden with Michael. As he told her how much he loved her, Michael pulled out a gardening knee pad and got down on one knee and asked Cristen to marry him. She burst into heavy crying and laughing and said YES! Then, the newly engaged couple danced the day away dreaming of their future.
Now we live and go to school in Macon, GA and are enjoying our new married life together. We just returned from a one week honeymoon in Maui, Hawaii where the weather and scenery were so beautiful, we plan to go back soon.
-Christen Dutcher
MET ON THE ORBIT BUS
Both my husband and I are UGA alums. Here is our love story... We went to high school together and even double dated together, but never as each other's date. My husband, Skipper Schofield, is older than me so he went to UGA two years before me. His second year there, he did a study abroad type program and went to Hawaii. When he returned in Spring of 1997, I was a first year student at UGA. We saw each other by chance one day on a UGA orbit bus heading up to the Tate Center stop. He asked for my phone number, and I gave it to him. Weeks went by, and I didn't hear from him. Then one day I was sitting on the pew inside Park Hall when he came walking in the door. I found out then that my roommates had not been giving me my messages when he called to get back at me for a petty dispute we had been having. Anyway, he asked me out on a date then and there. And we have been together ever since. We were married March 6, 1999 while we were both still at UGA. We both gradutated in May 2000. Skipper is an engineer, and I am a teacher. Last year for our 5th anniversary, we came back to Athens for the weekend. We visited our pew in Park Hall again. We have one son, Grayson Luke Schofield, who will be 2 years old in March. He's a future bulldog for sure.
-Jacie Schofield
MET AT THE PHI MU HOUSE
Will Smithwick, from Moultrie, GA (BSED '80) and Leslie Shanks from Atlanta, GA (BSED '81 and MED '86) met at the University of Georgia in the Fall of 1978. They met at the Phi Mu House - Leslie was a Phi Mu and Will was the "Phi Mu houseboy!" Their first date was to a UGA football game then to Capri Italian Restaurant (used to be on the east side of Athens.) They dated the rest of their wonderful years at UGA and got married in August of 1981. Will and Leslie Smithwick loved Athens so much that they stayed after they married. Will owns Uniforms 911 on Baxter Street and Leslie teaches P.E. at Whitehead Road Elementary School in Clarke County. They have 1 son, Zach, (15) who hopes to go to UGA in 2008.
-Leslie Smithwick
FOLLOWED IN PARENTS' FOOTSTEPS
Both my husband and I(married 20 years), and my parents, Charles and Anne Tolleson (married 54 years) dated at UGA, and got married after graduation. My dad (class of '51), says the time he attended UGA was the best time to be in college. I say it's when I was there! Our family has had season football tickets since 1951. My brother,cousins, and I are the second generation of Georgia graduates to sit in Section 130 and carry on the proud tradition of UGA football.
-Lisa Tolleson Goodman (BSED '81,MAED '82)
THE FIRST OF MANY GREAT MEMORIES
Virginia Adams (BS.Ed. '80) and I (Kevin Broderick - BBA '80) had known each other for a couple of years (well enough to say hey), but that changed two days before the Kentucky game in 1979. It was Thursday night, and both of us were out with friends. Virginia had just finished her fourth exam of the week, and I had finished my third. Needless to say, it was time for a beer. As my buddies and I stood at the bar at Crazy Zack's on Broad Street, Virginia and her lively gang arrived. Seeing her familiar face, I said hey. After some snappy conversation, one of us bought the other a beer. I mesmerized her with stories of our most recent social, where we had borrowed various animals from around town to lend authenticity to our barnyard theme. She was especially amused as I described the antics of the geese that had found their way all the way from Memorial Park to the Pike House. After this and a few other stories, one of us asked the other to dance. Several hours later, I offered to drive her back to her sorority house. As I prepared to turn right onto Milledge from Lumpkin, she grabbed the wheel and turned left. Virginia said she wanted to see the geese. Memorial Park by moonlight was very romantic, but the geese must have been asleep, so we didn't stay too long. As we started to leave the park, my car ran out of gas. I swear! We walked back to her house, and she gave me a ride home.
From that night on we've been a pair, even when I moved to Houston after graduation. We were married in 1981, and after a few years in Houston and a few in Atlanta, we settled in my home town of Savannah. We have three daughters, and the oldest is a freshman at UGA. After all these years of looking for reasons to visit Athens, we now have the best reason of all.
We've made lots of memories together since that memorable night in Memorial Park, and he have many more to go. We marked our first Valentine's Day with heart notes to each other in the Red and Black on February 14, 1980, and we'll mark our 25th Valentine's Day on the UGA Alumni Association's web site. Wonder how we'll mark the 50th.
-Kevin Broderick
THE CHEMISTRY WAS RIGHT
In a UGA Chemistry class during Spring quarter after the end of WWII there were two women students, and twenty or more men students. I met my husband-to-be (Lester L. Lundy) during Chemistry Lab. He had just returned to UGA after having served in the US Marine Corp. At war's end he was at Okinawa.
The chemistry must have been right for us. After we both graduated from UGA in December of 1949, we married in September of 1950. His degree was BS in Forestry. Mine was BS Home Economics with minor in Journalism. His entire career was with the Georgia Forestry Commission. My career was 27 years with Georgia Power Co.
Our son and his wife graduated from Georgia College and they have one daughter (a future Bulldog?) We celebrated our 51st wedding anniversary with a cruise to Bermuda just six months before my husband's death in 2001. Our UGA experiences and education had a profound effect on our lives. It gave us a livelihood, well-being, strength, character and a satisfying quality of life. Thank you, UGA, from a loyal and grateul lady Bulldog.
- Evangeline (Bannie) Lundy
GRADUATED TOGETHER IN 1994
My husband, Adam, and I met in the fall of 1992 on the first day of orientation for our master's program. We were both seeing other people at the time, but became fast friends. By the end of the year the other relationships had ended and we'd found a much deeper love for each other. We graduated together in June of 1994.
We married in 1996 at the Day Chapel in the State Botanical Gardens, where we had gotten engaged. After a 5 year stint working in Philadelphia, we returned to Athens in the summer of 2001 with our then 1 year old daughter, Emma, so that Adam could pursue his doctorate. We lived in Brandon Oaks - family housing - for three years while Adam worked for the Department of University Housing and completed his studies.
In May of 2004 he received his second UGA degree - this time with two children and me by his side! Our son Noah was just 10 months old, having conveniently arrived between Adam's preliminary exams and the dissertation. Emma even sat in Adam's lap during much of the graduation ceremony and walked across the stage with Daddy when he was hooded!
Now we live in Tallahassee where Adam is the Associate Dean of Students at Florida State University, but we'll always be Dawgs at heart. Adam proudly displays part of his bulldog collection at work as well as a beautiful watercolor of the Arch that I had painted for him for our anniversary last year. We cherished every moment of our times in Athens and always consider ourselves home there!
- Diana Goldstein
FIRST DATE AT TATE
We met for the first time in 1985 at Rocky Mountain Elementary School in Marietta, Georgia. We remained friends all the way through our school years. One day in the fall of our senior year at UGA, we ran into each other in front of the Tate Center. I invited Chris to a party at my new apartment at the corner of Baxter and Milledge. Chris came to the party (albeit with a date), but by the end of the night, he asked me out. Our first date was to see a movie at the Tate Center Theatre. We've been together ever since!
We have been married for three years and just celebrated the birth of our first child, Macsen Thomas Higgins in July. We hope that he will be a Bulldog when he grows up, too! UGA and Athens will always have a special place in our hearts.
- Jennifer Maggart Higgins (AB '96)
Chris Higgins (AB '97)
WITTY COMMENTS IN CLASS LED TO FIRST DATE
Holly Dahlstrom Hagge, BS in Anthropology and Women Studies Certificate, class of 2000 and Christopher Edward McGee, BS in Sociology, class of 2001
In the fall of '98 we consistently bumped into each other as the last two to arrive in an Anthropology 1001 class at The University of Georgia in Athens.
"I was immediately drawn to his bleach blonde hair, the fact that he was left-handed(like-me,) and his charming smile - which I regularly encouraged with witty commentary regarding lecture and course material." Holly
"Like everyone else in the room, I couldn't help notice this goddess who came in to class and usually joined me in the back row. We hit it off by being the bad kids at the back. Laughing at each others witty comments in class led to our first date." Chris
Our first date was on September 25th, we went to dinner at the always fantastic Last Resort Grill.
It truly was love at first site. Chris divided his time between school, me, and cycling - his other love (he was on the UGA cycling team.) I divided my time between school, Chris, and volunteering with WUOG (Dee Jaying for at least two years), University Union - Cinematic Arts, and Girl Scouts. By the end of the semester we were escaping campus on our first impromptu "getaway," - camping at St. George's Island State Park in Florida. That was just the beginning of our many travels together. We always managed a relaxing getaway, from camping to staying in fantastic Bed & Breakfasts. In Summer of '00 we enjoyed a Study Abroad to Costa Rice - as seen on this page. And we met in Paris for a week after Chris enjoyed a Study Abroad in Verona, Italy that same summer. Our love for travel, history, the environment and just having fun grew throughout our days in Athens at the University.
After graduation I took a job as the Communications & Marketing Manager for the Girl Scout Council of Savannah. Chris was loath to leave beloved Athens, but more loath to live on without me near by. He also relocated to Savannah and took on a position as an Assistant Manager for a local Cycling Shop. With a common desire to own a Small Business we saved our money for the two years that we enjoyed Savannah. Though Savannah had the historic charm we loved, our friends and family were all close to Atlanta.
We decided to start our new business, a Bed & Breakfast, in my home town - Rome, Georgia. A longtime love of ours, The Claremont House, was for sale and we were able to sign a deal that made our dreams come to life. See the Historic, Gothic Victorian house in all it's glory at www.theclaremonthouse.net. This truly magnificent building was built in 1882 by UGA alumni, Col. Hamilton Yancey - AB, 1868, BL and AM in 1870. It was a private home until 1992 when another couple converted the lovely home into a Bed & Breakfast with 6 guest rooms complete with private baths. The house had closed in May of 2003, and we re-opened it November 1, 2003. The process of renovation, restoration, and preservation is on going. Yet, we enjoy every minute of it. Owning a Bed & Breakfast and Event Venue gave each of us the perfect opportunity to utilize our many skills, and reveal our passion for the hospitality industry.
The day we signed the papers Chris proposed to me in our new home and business. It was a delicious fall evening. We set our wedding date for September 25, 2004 - the 6 year anniversary of our first date back in Athens. Of course we held the wedding in front of our spacious new home and held the reception inside. The Wedding was truly magnificent and represented so well our great love for one another. We no longer have to look at dividing our time, we can share our business and pleasures and simply multiply our love as we share our lives.
- Holly & Chris McHagge
GOOD THINGS COME TO HE WHO WAITS
My wife (Caroline Hunter Sisk) and I (John Sisk) were at UGA at the same time for one quarter- back in the fall of 1988. She was finishing her BSEd in Early Childhood Education and I was continuing my education having just transferred from Valdosta State College. We never knew each other, but that wouldn't stop us from crossing paths later on. She graduated and went to work in Atlanta at a preschool which helped her land her first job. I left the university to pursue a career in retail sales. Eight years would go by before we would meet in Athens.
I had returned to UGA to finish what I started many years before. I graduated from the University with a BA in Speech Communication in December, 1994. I stayed in Athens and went to work for the Financial Aid Office. I was living in East Athens and housed many of my buddies as they made weekend trips to see the Dogs play football. Instead of paying for a hotel room they would simply show up at my place Friday after work. We would go downtown to relive our glory days telling anyone who would listen how much things had changed since we were in college. Saturday was game day and Sunday they'd leave promising to be back for the next home game. On September 21, 1996 one of my friends showed up with three ladies in tow. We all had a great weekend watching the Bulldogs beat Texas Tech in the rain. One of the three ladies, my future bride, mentioned that I should come to Atlanta soon.
In May, 1997 I was invited to Atlanta for the annual Music Midtown Festival. Caroline was part of a group of about 20 that would hang out together and listen to the bands. I finally got her telephone number and we began a long term telephone date. I would come to Atlanta every so often and we'd spend time together getting to know one another. I never was one for doing anything real fast, so it took another two years for the proposal. I asked her if she would marry me on her birthday: March 12, 1999. We were married in April of 2000. I guess I really did live up to the saying, "Good things come to he who waits."
- John Sisk '94
MET IN RUSSEL HALL
My husband, Brett Savage (B.S. '04), and I, Adriana DeWulf (B.A. '03) met each other while living in Russell Hall Dormitory. He offered to help me move into my dorm room and I fell in love with him ever since. We casually went out together for about six months and built a strong friendship. He asked me to be his girlfriend on July 21, 2001 on a big rock overlooking the river at UGA's Botanical Garden. After a couple of years of dating the man of my dreams he asked me to be his wife on April 28, 2003 at Founder's Memorial Garden on North Campus. A couple of weeks later I finished my Bachelors degree in Broadcast News from the Journalism School and started working for a recruiting company in Duluth. In the meantime Brett was finishing his junior year at the University getting his Bachelors of Science in Environmental Health Science. We were married soon after on August 2, 2003. We had a gorgeous outdoor wedding on Herty Field and our Reception in the Terrace Room at the Botanical Gardens. Since then, Brett has finished his Bachelors and is currently working on his Masters in Science Education. I am working at the Georgia Credit Union Affiliates in Duluth.
I am so happy that we both chose UGA to go to school--Brett grew up in Columbia, SC and was almost going to attend USC instead of UGA and I was planning on going to Kennesaw for two years and then transfer to UGA--at the last minute we both decide to go to UGA!! Needless to say, we are so happy that we made the right decision! We are so grateful for UGA and all the memories that we have. UGA will always have a special place in our hearts. We are so happy together and we hope that our children will continue the legacy!
- Adriana DeWulf (B.A. '03)
BEST FRIENDS IN HIGH SCHOOL
Okay I couldn't resist the offer to tell about mine and my husband's Bulldog Romance. We have been happily married now for 19 years and have 3 wonderful children. Our story is exceptional, so I love to share it. Dozier and I (Nancy) both grew up in Colquitt, Georgia and graduated from UGA in 1985. He with a degree in Forestry and me in Education. During our high school years, we were best friends and there was definitely chemistry between us - but we both had another boyfriend/girlfriend. In fact, my high school sweetheart grew up next door to Dozier and they often played together as young boys. His name was Shane Grow and he was an SAE at UGA majoring in Agriculture. In June 11, 1984, just at the beginning of our senior year, Shane was killed instantly in an early morning car accident near Tifton, GA. He was travelling on an unfamiliar road and the rising sun was in his eyes and he missed seeing a stop sign. He hit a truck in the intersection.
As you imagine, my life was turned upside down. I had never lost anyone to death other than great-grandparents. I was definitely spiraling out of control from the immense pain of the loss. Dozier saw the desperate emptiness in my eyes and he made me focus on surviving. Dozier had lost a precious sister in a car accident several years earlier and he knew my pain. He too, mourned Shane. The tender love that Dozier poured into my breaking heart was not only from him, but also from God. God blessed our budding romance and our life has been tremendously adventure, laughter, and love filled ever since.
- Nancy Phillips Tabb
VARIETY IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
My husband and I met in Botany class in the summer of '97. He was your quintessential frat boy (cutoff Dockers w/ baseball cap--you know, the uniform), and I was a Theatre major in the Honors Program--not your typical "match-made-in-heaven," to say the least. Nevertheless, I thought he was cute and wormed my way into his study group. After battling several other sorority girls for his affections, I proved that variety is the spice of life and won his heart. We married in 1999 and had our first little girl in August of 2004.
- Matthew and Megan Oliaro
INVITED EACH OTHER TO "CRUSH" PARTIES
John and I met when I was in the seventh grade and he was in the eighth. He was the teacher's aide in my 7th grade English class. At first, I didn't like him because he picked on me. It wasn't until the next year that we became a couple. We both went to a Valentine's Party at my best friend's house and he asked me to dance. He kissed me and we went on to date for the next nine months. We were inseparable and were in love! It was a horrible day when we decided to break up, but we did manage to remain friends and kept in touch over the next seven years. We somehow managed to go out at least once a year and our friendship even survived him dating my best friend!
We both ended up attending UGA. We ran into each other on campus frequently and saw each other out at parties and other social gatherings. He was in a fraternity and I was in a sorority. We always invited each other to our "crush" parties, never once thinking that we would ever date again (much less get married!) Since we were both from the same hometown, we also saw each other over holidays and when we came home for the weekend.
Well, football season my senior year (John had one quarter left), I asked John to take me to the football game. We have been together since that date. We were married July 31, 1993 and all of our bridesmaids and groomsmen (other than family) were UGA graduates!
We have been married almost twelve years and have three little bulldogs-Taylor, 10, Jack, 6, and Sarah Grace, 2. Every Saturday during football season is a family event. The kids all wear their Georgia jerseys and we all cheer on the Dawgs!
Our days attending UGA were some of the best days of our lives. We will always look back on them fondly, as they truly are the days that brought us together!
- Christi P. Bell
MET IN CHURCH
A quick story. My wife, Greta, and I met in the fall of 1997, when I was a Junior and she a Sophomore. She came up to me after church (Prince Avenue Baptist) the Sunday before classes started and asked me some questions about the praise team. Like a typical guy, I thought that she was hitting on me and I pretty much fell for that moment. Turns out she really did just want to know about the praise team! It took me four months to make her realize that I was the one for her. And the rest is history. Five wonderful years of marriage and two children later, we are more in love today than ever. All because I came to UGA because Vanderbilt was too expensive and Samford was too small for her!
- Jeff Hancock
PRINCE CHARLES WAS NO COMPETITION
During the 1977 football (the only losing season Coach Dooley had!), I proposed to my wife Laura (McGee) '78. It happened to be on the Wednesday before the Kentucky game that Prince Charles attended. During halftime, he walked the field and talked to several band members. Laura was a member of the flag corps. He stopped to speak with her and kissed her cheek. Everyone gave me grief about having competition. Despite the kiss, we've been married for 26+ years. He definitely has more money than I, but Laura and I have been more stable together.
- Paul McKown '75 and '78 M Ed
