Last month, we profiled several couples who met at GW for our Valentine’s Day edition of the Colonial Cable. We asked for other couples who met at GW to share their stories and many of you responded! Thank you to all who submitted great stories of meeting at GW – read below to check them out.
Jay Boyles, ESIA BA ’03
Courtney Pollman, CCAS BA ’03
“Jay and Courtney met in 1999, during their first year at GW. They were both enrolled in the Navy ROTC program, and although they were friends for their four years at GW, they never dated. When they graduated and were commissioned as naval officers in ’03, they each went their separate ways – Jay heading out to duty in Japan, and Courtney to a ship in Norfolk, Virginia. In 2005, Jay moved to Norfolk, and they rekindled their friendship. Soon, they were dating, and in June 2007, they were married in Virginia Beach – on a pirate-themed excursion boat!”
Laura Brody, ESIA BA ’72, GWSB MS ’77
Philip Brody, CCAS BA ’72
“Laura and Phil were both 1972 GW graduates living in Philadelphia. In 1979, the Philly Alumni Association was sponsoring a trip to see the Phillies play and, although they both signed up, they both went with other married friends. They met over the food and bar tables and realized they were the only single people in the group. Laura ended up driving Phil home (he directed her the long way) even though they coincidentally lived across the street from one another. The rest is history! They recently celebrated their 27th wedding anniversary. Their older daughter, Dena, graduated from GWSB in 2006 and their son Evan is currently a junior in Columbian College. And Phil is the past president of the GW Parents Association. Now that's a family with Colonial spirit!”
Erin Doyle, CCAS BA ’06
Justin Lavin, SEAS BA ’06
“My name is Erin Doyle and I met my amazing boyfriend, Justin Lavin, at GW. We both graduated in 2006. I transferred to GW my second semester of sophomore year. One of my best friends that I went to kindergarten through high school with lived in Schenley and I was in Crawford. I went to visit the school and see the nightlife in September 2003 in my sophomore year. I went into his dorm room, not even thinking about a roommate, and that's when I saw him. We instantly connected and I was so excited to transfer! Now, almost six years after we first met, we are still together and plan on getting married soon. I cannot imagine what life would be like if I did not transfer to GW and never met Justin. Thank you GW!”
Jillian Dubman, ESIA BA ’99
Rob Dubman, GWSB BBA ’99
“My name is Jillian Dubman and I graduated from the Elliott School in 1999. I met my husband, Rob Dubman, when we were freshmen. We were in Professor McGann’s English class first semester freshman year. He was a very shy guy, but super sweet. During our sophomore year, Rob needed a date to his fraternity semi-formal. Our mutual friend called me to see if I would go with Rob. I was really excited to go because Rob was such a nice guy, and I would be able to hang out with my friends at a fun event. I always said Rob was the kind of guy you marry....and I'm the lucky one who got to live that dream! Don't worry, he knows how lucky he is too!”
Marni Falk, CCAS BA ’96, MED MD ’00
Scott Falk, CCAS BA ’96, MED MD ’00
“My husband, Scott, and I met the first day of college moving into Crawford Hall in August 1993. We were both entering as freshmen in the second year of GW’s seven-year combined BA/MD program. We became great friends, and a short four years later, began to date during our second year of GW med school. We became engaged during our third year of med school and married during our last year in GW and D.C., in November 1999. We’ve now been married more than eight years and have a wonderful 21-month-old son, Aden.”
John Hoglund, LAW JD ’73
Patricia Olwell Hoglund, GSEHD MA ’71
“John and Patricia worked as Resident Assistants and lived next door to each other for the entire year without ever meeting. Then in April of 1971 the Dean of Students invited all the staff to a party to celebrate the end of the year and Pat and John met over a ham sandwich. It wasn’t quite love at first bite, but John gave Pat a ride home from the party and they began seeing each other frequently. Pat graduated in the summer of 1971 and was ready to move to another state for a job, but instead decided her future was with John so she stayed in D.C. and they were married in May of 1972. After John graduated they moved to Olympia, Wash., and are the parents of three children and now live in Seattle, Wash., where they attend the regional gatherings for GW alum.”
Heather Kleba, CCAS BA ’08
Mike Kerrigan, CCAS BA ’07
“My fiancé Mike Kerrigan and I met right before we came to GW in ’04 on a message board set up for incoming freshman. We’re both from the Midwest, and since there aren’t a whole lot of students from that area, we made an instant connection. We met up our first day on campus for the work/study meeting, and the rest is history. We’re getting married May 24, 2009.”
Carolyn Hall Kraft, CCAS BA ’96
Rory E. Kraft, Jr., ATT ’92-’93
“My husband and I met our freshman year at GW in the TV lounge of Thurston Hall. It was one of the first Sundays of the fall semester of 1992. I had arrived early to make sure that the Patriots football game would be on TV. I am from Maine and a life-long Patriots fan. However, as it neared kickoff time, other people decided to change the channel to watch the other game being aired. I said, ’Hey, what about the Patriots?’ The reply: ’No one likes the Patriots.’ I heard another voice behind me say, ’I like the Patriots!’ I turned around, and there he was! I asked, ’Where are you from?’ expecting to meet another New Englander that I would have lots in common with. He replied, ’Arizona.’ Oh well. We didn't have geography in common, but it turned out that we did have a lot of other things in common. We got married in June of 1999 and now have a beautiful one-year-old daughter.”
Donald Lockley, CCAS MA ’00
Jennel Harvey, SPHHS MHSA ’00
“The principle of supply and demand brought Donald and Jennel together nine years ago when both were pursuing graduate degrees at GW. As a statistical programmer, Donald had the skills, and with an end of semester statistics project desperately needing to be completed, Jennel had the need for his expert advice. Donald and Jennel soon found that they had more in common than statistics and a passion for research. After graduating from GW in 2000, Jennel moved to Arizona to pursue a PhD and eventually called on Donald again for his statistical expertise. This final research collaboration rekindled a friendship that grew into a love affair. The couple married November 23, 2007. Both now both work for the Federal government - Jennel, as a senior health care analyst at the Government Accountability Office and Donald as a lead statistician at the Office of Personnel Management.”
Lauri Black Mufson, CCAS BA ’76
Michael Mufson, GWSB BBA '76, MBA ’78
“I met my husband freshman year in Thurston Hall in 1972 and our romance blossomed as we waited in many a line together at the Ratskeller in Marvin Center. In 1974 we carved our initials in the brand new cement which surrounds the ivy across from the Francis Scott Key dorm. It is barely visible now and is just about disintegrating, but we enjoy checking up on it whenever we come to visit our daughter, Haley Mufson, who is a senior at GW. My husband and I will be celebrating our 31st anniversary in May, as well as our daughter’s graduation. GW has been a very special place for the Mufson family and we are huge fans!”
Marc Shuster, CCAS BA ’98
Lilian B. (Marin) Shuster, CCAS BA ’98
“My wife and I, Lilian Shuster, met here in the mid-1990s, while we were both undergraduates. In fact, we met in Gelman library where the first thing I said to her was that ’the women here are only looking for their MRS degree’ – meaning they are looking to get married! Lil was obviously put off by my stupid generalization, but I was really just trying to make conversation in my typical, embarrassed way – and with a pretty girl this time. And it worked! Because I so outraged her with my comment and her need to defend the notion that women were there to actually learn that she argued with me for the next several minutes. This led to me to ask her if I could walk her back to her apartment, which then led to the first date and so on. We now have three kids together, all future GW alum. And we look quite fondly at the school that brought us together.”
Marilyn Szczerbiak, ESIA BA ’73
Walt Szczerbiak, GWSB BBA ’71
“Walt and I met at GW in 1968. Walt was a basketball player for the Colonials and I was in the school of international affairs. We have been married for 36 years and have three children and three grandchildren.”