Love stories from Michigan Engineers

We asked Michigan Engineers to share the story of how they met their Valentine soulmate at the University of Michigan.  From football games, student project teams or Greek life parties, each of the stories we received had one thing in common: A love beginning and strengthened by their time at Michigan Engineering.

Here are six of the many stories that were shared with us.

(Stories may be edited for clarity)

Alex A. and Michael M.

Alex and Michael inadvertently submitted their stories separately, sharing both of their perspectives on how they fell in love.

M: Alex and I met in the Wilson Center my Sophomore year at Michigan. She was on the Formula SAE team and I was on the Baja team. Although we had spoken to each other a few times before, and worked on homework together, I don’t think she knew that I liked her.

A: Michael and I have been dating for about 3 years now. We met in the University of Michigan’s Wilson Student Team Project Center; I was on Formula and he was on Baja. I needed help on my ME240 (dynamics) homework and was pointed his way. We instantly clicked…

M: One night, we were both working there on our respective cars until very late at night, and I finally got the nerve to walk up to her on my way out of the shop and I asked her out on a date. I was so nervous I could barely get the words out! Remarkably, she accepted the date and we have been together ever since!

A: [We] share so much in common—we both share a love for Mechanical Engineering, always having projects to do, tinkering on cars, camping, 4-wheeling/dirt biking, and the list goes on and on. Since meeting, we have adventured all over Michigan, and the country, together. We wouldn’t be together if it hadn’t been for us both choosing U of M and both choosing to be on project teams—such a slim chance we think about often.

M: Alex and I have been dating for over 3.5 years now and I couldn’t be happier! We just recently graduated together and moved out to California.

A: We both graduated in December and, currently, we are long-distance. I am at Apple Product Development in Cupertino, and Michael at Fox Racing Shox in San Diego…

M: Alex means the world to me. She is always there for me and has supported me, and I the same for her. Her and I are a perfect fit for each other!

A: …we know we will be in the same city again as soon as we can.

M: Alex, I love you so much and I wish I could be with you on this Valentine’s Day. We’ll make that a reality someday.

More Michigan Engineering love stories

Amanda W.

I am a ChE 2014 grad. My fiancé and I met as freshmen on move-in day! We both lived in the Northwood Apartments and were actually next door neighbors. We hung out every night of Welcome Week and made things official by the end of the week. Fast-forward ~8.5 years later and we are now planning our wedding for fall of 2019! I guess you could say that good things come to those who wait!

Andrew R.

I met my wife Emily in ENG 101 lab sitting across the table from each other in fall 2007. After many days, nights, and weekends hanging out she confessed her crush on me outside Bursley at the bus stop before Christmas break, an indicator of her confidence/forwardness that continues to this day (she could even tell you the bus number if you asked).

We’ve spent every moment since over the last 11 years laughing and enjoying each others company. We married in 2016 and continue to pursue our careers and lives together as I work in Texas for Dow Chemical and she finishes her PhD in Bioastronautics at the University of Colorado. Right now she’s currently in Antarctica wrapping up a research project and I can’t wait to see her when she gets back in two weeks… just in time for Valentine’s Day!

Heidi P.

I am a Michigan Civil Engineer (BSE ‘12, MSE ‘13). My husband, Paul, is a Michigan Naval Architect and Marine Engineer (NAME BSE ‘11, MSE 12’) and current NAME PhD candidate.

I was in a sorority Pi Beta Phi and Paul was in a fraternity Theta Xi. One of my sorority sisters was dating one of his fraternity brothers and they set us up on a blind date. We had our first date at Espresso Royale on South University. Afterwards, due to the continuous back and forth text messaging through classes the following week, I had to ask my Mom to up my texting limit from 200 text messages a month and that my T9 keyboard on my flip phone just wouldn’t do. Yep, we predated the iPhone.

And then the rest of the seven years were a blur of: barn dances, Michigan football games (hockey and basketball too), winter formals, cider mills, study dates in the UGLI or the basement of the Dude or NAME, semi-formals, snowball fights, date parties, beer pong tournaments, ski trips, spring break trips, graduations, master’s degrees, jobs in Newport Beach CA, jobs in Houston TX, camping trips, tubing trips, and finally….. Ann Arbor. Back to where it all began. Paul started his PhD education summer 2015. He proposed summer 2016 and we celebrated our wedding at the Michigan League in July 2017 with family, friends and many many Michigan alumni.

Kelley E.

Our first words to each other were “Hola,” at the most romantic spot on North Campus: Mujo. It was a meeting of the “Ingenieros” Spanish Club of the College of Engineering. Being 3 years apart, we never took a class together, but our shared majors for both BS and MS (ME and BME, respectively) helped create a common bond. Our relationship grew despite distance for nearly 5 years as Sakib stayed in Ann Arbor working on his PhD and then a postdoc in College Station, Texas while I worked all around the world (Southeast Asia, Africa, Houston). The journey led back to where it started, with us tying the knot right on the Diag followed by a reception at the U-M Museum of Art on 8/20/2016. U-M (and Mujo!) will forever hold a special place in our hearts for being the place that brought us together.

Catherine H.

I like to say it was love at first glance of my resume, even though we didn’t start dating for two years after I interviewed for a UROP position with Nate when he was a PhD student in materials science. Four years later, we’re both proud alumni of the MSE program and I’m cheering on Michigan with the Boulder alumni chapter as I work on my PhD. Go Blue!

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