Alumni Couple Stories
Michael Badding '09 and Anna Lehet Badding '10
Anna and I met in 2007 in our Geology 101 lab. She lived in Monroe; I lived in Saratoga Terrace. Our first "date" was meeting at the IB followed by a slice at Mia’s. It was final's week of the fall semester and we skated our way back down to campus in the snow, parting ways at the ISC. Throughout the spring semester, we spent more and more time together and decided to stay together over the summer despite a five-hour drive that separated us. By coincidence, we returned to fall semester 2008 to learn that we both living North Street, only two houses apart. The 2008-2009 year we were inseparable, spending countless hours together at Milne, the tennis courts (Anna played all four years), and on Main Street. Since graduation, we've lived in Buffalo and Chicago, getting married in 2015 and moving back to Buffalo later that year. Geneseo remains an incredibly joyous and nostalgic place to both of us, as do the numerous friendships we made during our short time living there. (Story by Michael)
Jennifer Wendell Heaphy '91 and Tim Heaphy '91
My husband, Tim, and I met during the school-sponsored Spring Break trip to Daytona Beach in 1990. We were both staying at the Whitehall Hotel, just down the hall from each other. I was a cheerleader, and he was roommates with some of the basketball players I cheered for. Somehow, we had never met before. We spent the week together and continued dating throughout the rest of our time at Geneseo. He was a swimmer, so I spent a lot of time at swim meets! We have lots of great memories from our time at Geneseo — the Ice Storm, Blue Wave parties, basketball games, and many nights at the IB and the Idle Hour! We graduated in 1991 and were married in 1994. We will celebrate our 24th wedding anniversary this summer. Tim is now the principal of Eastridge High School in Irondequoit, NY, and I am a third-grade teacher at Klem North School in Webster, NY. We always look forward to those occasions when we can bring our three kids down to Geneseo to walk the campus, spy on our old dorms and apartments, and grab subs from Aunt Cookies. Geneseo was where our story began, and it continues to hold a special place in our hearts. (Story by Jennifer)
Jack Dermigny '12 and Alex Travis Dermigny '13
We might have otherwise never crossed paths at Geneseo if they hadn't met working at Mama Mia's in 2010. They became fast friends, quickly realizing they had much more in common than just a shared passion for pizza. After routinely meeting up for coffee at Muddy Waters on Main Street between classes that year, Jack and Alex finally had their first date in Geneseo in September 2011 after returning from summer break. Since then they have shared everything, including their love for the outdoors, burritos, rock climbing, and each other. Four years later, Jack proposed, and the two were married on September 4, 2016. The ceremony was officiated by their dear friend, former Mia's coworker and Geneseo alumnus Doug Zaleski ('10). After Geneseo, Alex and Jack moved to Chapel Hill, NC, for graduate school where they now live with their dog, Rosie. While they may root for the Tarheels now, they will always be proud Geneseo Knights! (Pictured is J&A at Alex's Geneseo senior formal, May 2013, and J&A at their wedding reception, September 2016 -- Story by Jack)
Christina Dornbush '14 and Shane Clark '14
We first met before classes started on July 7th during our first-year orientation. Those kind brown eyes caught my attention as we walked by each other, passing the gazebo, on the stairs next to Sturges. Only a few hours later, I came to find out that we were in the same orientation group. After attending a couple of the events together, we went for a walk around campus and talked about life for hours. He was just as kind as his eyes led me to believe, and quite intelligent and funny as well! We had texted all summer after that, and two weeks into classes starting, we were dating. Long story short, we dated throughout all four years of Geneseo. We then took on two years of long distance while I got my Masters in Speech Pathology at SUNY Plattsburgh, and Shane pursued a Ph.D. in Mathematics at University of Kentucky (UK). Finally, after two long years, Shane and I are living happily in Lexington, KY. I’m a practicing speech pathologist in Lexington, and Shane is currently a Ph.D. student at UK. (Story by Christina)
Amy Ferraro Thronton '96 and Brian Thornton '95
My husband Brian Thornton ‘95 and I met at Geneseo in 1994 at a Sigma Kappa/Sigma Theta Epsilon party. We still reminisce about our amazing Geneseo days and hope to visit again soon! It truly is a special place! (Story by Amy)
Larkin Kimmerer Podsiedlik '09 and David Podsiedlik '08
My husband, David, and I met on the first day of college in 2005 in Livingston, where he was the last of the boys' rooms, and I was the first of the girls' rooms, with an RA between us. He was a transfer and I was a freshman. We were friendly, watched Syracuse basketball games together (he had a TV in his room; I didn't). It was never anything more until his senior year when we had some friends in common who started inviting us to the same parties, and we hit it off all over again, even though he was only a couple months from graduation. Lucky for me, he decided to start his graduate work at Geneseo so he could stick around, and the rest is history! He proposed at Letchworth in 2013 (he wanted to propose on campus, but I wanted to go to Letch really badly, apparently). We were married in 2014 with plenty of Geneseo alumni in attendance, including the wedding photographer Katie Finnerty and the DJ Phil Connery, and we now have a 10-month old son who already has a Geneseo piggy bank! (Photo is from the track formal in 2008 -- Story by Larkin)
Tracy Holleran '93 and Steve Mattus '92
My husband, Steve, and I met when I was a freshman, and he was a sophomore in Allegany Hall where we both lived. We became friends, and two years later both were RAs in that same dorm. Although we flirted, we never really dated. When I was a senior, my Clio sorority sisters predicted at our senior banquet that we would get married and I laughed thinking they were crazy. We remained in touch after graduation, even in the era of no cell phones and no social media! Three years later, in 1996, I went on a business trip to New York City where he was living, and he took me to lunch. After two years of a long-distance relationship, we were married and this August we will celebrate our 20th anniversary. We have two girls, ages 14 and 16, and our most spoiled child, our dog Cooper. Not really a typical “college sweetheart” story, but one that still has a happy ending. (Story by Tracy)
Kelsey Costello ’17 and Kyle Parnell ‘15
We met in 2015; he was the Chief of SUNY Geneseo First Response (GFR) and I was a new member that was assigned to him as my mentor. We clicked and started dating shortly after. Two years later, I became Chief of GFR. Three years later, we are still together, and I am now one of the Staff Advisors for GFR. (Story by Kelsey)
MaryKate Emmerich Rosmarin ‘13 and Corbin Rosmarin '13
I graduated from SUNY Geneseo with my husband in May 2013. This is a photo from our wedding this past summer with fellow Geneseo alumni. We wanted to share! We got married on Long Island on Sunday July 2, 2017. My husband, Corbin Rosmarin '13, played for the Ice Knights and we met freshmen year at the IB. I was a bartender at the IB and Geneseo holds a special place in our hearts! (Story by MaryKate)
Meghan Milana ‘13 and Chris Smeenk '12
We got engaged last December and will be getting married August 17, 2018. How We Met: Meghan didn’t know who Chris was until he messaged her on Facebook in January of her junior year at Geneseo. She recognized him as one of the intramural referees — especially as the one who never let her team (a bunch of soccer girls) use their feet to kick the ball in our intramural volleyball games. He was a friend of her roommate, Kaelyn, from her RA days so she answered him and they started talking. He wanted her to join his softball team for the spring. He played for the Flutie Flakes intramural team, which had a reputation for winning all the intramural championships, except soccer. Meghan was being "recruited" and she agreed to play. As they continued to talk, he asked her if she wanted to play catch with him on March 7, 2012. We played catch for two hours in the back of his Courtside apartment. It was the longest game of catch you have ever seen. They would go on two more dates, one where they went for a hike at Fallbrook and one where they went for a walk and sat under the stars at Ambassador apartments before he finally kissed her...at the IB (so cliche, but it is true). The rest of that semester was filled with memories of date party, softball games, watching a lightning storm from the gazebo, movie nights, and so much more. At the end of that semester, Chris was graduating and they made the decision, after really only dating about two months, to stay together. Five and a half years later, their unconventional long-distance relationship was full of bus/train rides, long weekends, short weekends, and adventures around NY, DC, and Baltimore. "We figured it out and made it work for us. We wouldn't change a thing about our story, it is special because it is ours."
The Proposal: Chris always knew he would propose to Meghan at the gazebo in SUNY Geneseo, the college where they met. Chris and Meghan had spent some of their favorite memories at Geneseo together in the gazebo such as watching the famous Geneseo sunset over the valley. One of Meghan's favorite memories was watching a lightning storm with Chris from the gazebo in between studying for finals. Hence, the gazebo was the perfect place for them to get engaged. Chris enlisted the help of Meghan's friend Kaelyn and her fiance, Mike, to get Meghan to Geneseo two days after Christmas without her suspecting anything. Meghan was so excited about being in Geneseo again that she didn't even suspect anything was going to happen. The two couples had lunch in town and then decided to walk around campus like the good ole' days. Kaelyn and Chris lead Meghan around campus but stayed strictly away from the center of campus, where the gazebo is. Once it got dark, Chris' plan was to lead Meghan down to the gazebo, but there was a slight glitch. Just as the two couples were about to turn towards the gazebo, Meghan spotted another couple that had just gotten engaged and didn't have anyone to take their picture. Meghan was so excited for them and asked if they wanted her to take their picture. She asked them where they got engaged and they had said the gazebo and that it was all decorated. When Chris heard them say this, he was devastated. He had decorated the gazebo for Meghan, for their proposal. Luckily for him, Meghan was so excited for the newly engaged couple that she didn't even notice what they had said. After wishing the newly engaged couple well, Chris, Meghan, Kaelyn, and Mike went to the science building to regroup. Chris was shaken by the thought that Meghan would know something or that his surprise was ruined, but there was no turning back now. They decided the gazebo would be their last stop for the night. They walked down the hill towards the gazebo and the first thing Meghan noticed was that the entire gazebo was lit up in Christmas lights. She got very excited and said, "Wow, Geneseo decorated for Christmas this year! They never did that when we were here!" Now Chris knew that his surprise was not actually ruined. Next Meghan noticed that Kaelyn and Mike had disappeared. This was when she started to suspect something was up but thought maybe they just wanted their alone time. Chris and Meghan talked for a short time in the gazebo about the memories they had had in Geneseo and how it holds a special place in their hearts. Chris said they were going to take a selfie, so Meghan took her gloves off to get her phone out. In that moment, Chris had his chance (Meghan never takes off her gloves!) He moved her to the center of the gazebo, got down on one knee and asked her to spend the rest of her life with him. In the twinkling of the Christmas lights in the gazebo, Meghan said yes! That is when Meghan noticed Chris' brother Brandon and friend Tawa jumping out of the surrounding bushes snapping photographs and videos. Kaelyn and Mike rejoined them too as the group celebrated the newly engaged couple in the gazebo. To get out of the cold, they all went to the Idle Hour, a college bar that they had spent many nights in Geneseo at to celebrate and call their parents. After celebrating with their friends, Meghan and Chris celebrated at the Big Tree Inn for a romantic dinner where Chris told Meghan all about how he had put the Christmas lights up with Brandon and Tawa the previous day and how he had created the most amazing proposal over the past seven months. For Chris and Meghan, it was the most perfect night, in the most perfect town, with the most perfect people.