Welcome to #UCFLoveStory2025!

We met during the pandemic in 2020 when a mutual friend put us in a group chat with other UCF sports fans so that we could all pass the time in lockdown talking about all things UCF. We spoke in that chat daily for months and finally in December 2020 we met in person for the first time at a UCF basketball game (which we won!) followed by watching the UCF football bowl game (which we lost…) at a local bar. The next week, we went on our first official date and have been together ever since. On April 30th, 2024 (and many football and basketball games later!) we got engaged on a bench on UCF’s Memory Mall. On May 18th, 2025, we had our black and gold themed wedding with our bridesmaids wearing Canaveral Blue for a nod to the Citronauts. We look forward to many years attending UCF sports game as husband and wife!

Jose and I met in 2017 while attending UCF’s traditional nursing program. With a class of 100 women and 15 men, it was easy to spot his confidence, kindness, and charm from across the room! After playing footsies underneath the table during clinical post-conference and a few late-night study sessions, I knew he was the one for me. We graduated together with our BSNs in 2019 and married May 18th, 2024! Our time together at UCF was so special to us, we asked our critical care professor, Dr. Brian Peach, to officiate our wedding. It was so meaningful to have him marry us, as he was there from the beginning of our love story! We also had six of our nursing school forever friends stand by us at the alter on our big day (shoutout to Amy, Casey, Kim, Sam, Melissa, and Jocelyn!) Jose and I are now happily married with two cats, working as perioperative nurses in Orlando. We owe everything to UCF. Go Knights! Charge on!

I first met Armand in 2019 through the Filipino Student Association (FSA) at UCF. We had mutual friends, but we never really interacted. That all changed when a group of our friends decided to create a video series for fun, and Armand and I were asked to be part of it. We played characters who were childhood neighbors, supposed to grow closer as the story progressed. Unfortunately, the project was never finished, and that meant our characters never got their happy ending on-screen. But even though the project ended, it was the beginning of our story. I always thought Armand was cute, but it wasn’t until a friend mentioned it to him that he reached out to me, and we started texting. Things quickly grew from there. Not long after, we went on our first date, and since then, so much has happened.

I graduated from UCF with my nursing degree in 2021, and Armand graduated in 2022 with his degree in biomedical sciences. Through late-night study sessions, big milestones, and life changes, we’ve always supported each other in our dreams and goals. It’s been an incredible journey, and I’m so grateful for every step of it. Shoutout to our matchmaker friends—you know who you are! I’m so thankful for UCF FSA and the incredible people it brought into my life. Through those friendships, I met Armand, and what began as a fun project turned into something truly special. I’m excited to see where this adventure takes us next.

Clay played basketball for UCF and spotted Sarah in the stands. Mutual friends arranged a meet up at the Knight’s Out Pub. They began dating and these college sweethearts married in 1992. They have two children, Carson ’18 ’22MFA and Maggie  ’20. They are season ticket holders and members of the Shareholders Society.

We met at UCF in 2022 during a NSBE (National Society of Black Engineers) General Body Meeting—she was working the door, and he couldn’t help but notice her and her smile. Over the next couple of years, we kept running into each other, and by 2024, those “random” encounters turned into something real. We started dating and got engaged later that year. UCF wasn’t just where we earned our degrees—it’s where we found each other, and for that, we’ll always be grateful.

Our love story began in 2003, during our sophomore year at UCF, when we crossed paths for the first time at Sky60 in downtown Orlando. We were both new hires working weekends together and during our downtime or between customers, we would crack inside jokes and engage in small talk. Within a couple of months, he asked me to go on a date; we decided on cheeseburgers and margaritas at Margaritaville, Universal (our names can be found etched on one of the trees inside). When the bill arrived, we weren’t ready to end the night together, so we continued our path down I-Drive ending up at the bowling alley (it is up for discussion on who won those games but I still have the socks!). The next morning, I called my sister, Alexis (c/o ’03), and told her that I was going to marry him one day (she thought I was absolutely crazy). Fast forward twenty-two years and three future Knights later, we will be celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary this March! Cheers to being crazy!

We met at UCF through a club we both joined. We quickly became running partners and would get all our runs in on campus. We became close friends through all our runs and started hanging out more. After a year of being friends he asked me out in one of the parking garages on campus and we got engaged 6 months later. Our favorite campus spots were the Reflecting pond and walking to Gringos and getting to participate in the UCF race and going to football games. We have been married for almost two years as of April. Every year we meet our friends for Space Game and at last year’s game we announced to our friends that a new little Knight’s fan was due in May 2025!

Kyra and I officially met in January 2013, so a little over 12 years ago. Prior to meeting, we’d occasionally see one another around campus as I frequented her job a few times. I quickly learned that she and I both lived at the Pointe at Central too. One Friday afternoon, after a long week of school, she and I both were on the bus together. I had an elaborate plan to get her attention once we exited and it DID NOT work. However, as fate would have it, I saw her later that evening; walking across the street from Campus Crossing as the mist of the rain was falling, I noticed someone from a distance. Hurried in my walking I noticed it was Kyra climbing the stairs with her same friend from earlier. It was a literally a movie-like experience, like a prince on his way to rescue the princess from the tallest room in the highest castle lol. So, from a distance I yelled “Hey, I know you!,” not romantic, but very effective at the time. She stopped long enough for me to walk closer and reveal who this loud, yet determined person was. I repeated more softly, “Hey, I know you” and she slowly stepped closer to me while navigating those yellow-chipped stairs. I asked her for her number, and we’ve been connected since then. We were married in 2017 and welcomed our first child in 2019. Thank God that we’ve not stopped making memories since then! #HappyValentinesDay #UCFLoveStory2025

Marilyn and I both graduated from Winter Park High School and went away to college, she went to Wake Forest and I to Lafayette. We had gone together in high school and broken up our senior year.

Her dad’s health brought Marilyn back to Winter Park and she enrolled in what was then FTU now UCF. I quit school after a year of playing football and came back to Winter Park to and was working construction. Marilyn was in Delta Delta Delta and a little sister at one of the fraternities. I saw Marilyn late one night at a Dunkin Donuts on Aloma Avenue with a date.

The next Saturday morning was beautiful, so I took a chance and went to her house and started tapping on her bedroom window. She finally came to the window, pulled the curtains back and saw me. She opened the window and said, “What are you doing here banging on my window this early?” All I replied was, “Let’s go to the beach.” She came back with “Are you crazy, don’t you know I’m involved in a serious relationship now?” I came back with “So what, it’s a beautiful day let’s go to the beach.” She said “OK” the curtains closed. I went around the front and out the door she came in her bikini.

We had a great time at the beach. I quickly realized working construction as a laborer was not a good way forward so I visited the local Marine recruiter. The sergeant there screened me and asked why I was looking at enlisting when I had a year of college under my belt. He convinced me to visit the Officer Selection Officer who was currently visiting UCF at the student union. I went directly there and next thing you know Captain F G Wickersham III had me enrolled in the platoon Leaders Program and had taken me down to the registrar’s office and somehow got me signed up to attend the spring quarter. Marilyn and I began dating again and I worked hard to woo her from all the other boys she still was dating. I went off to officer candidate’s school that summer. Marilyn attended the summer quarter and faithfully wrote to me while I was at OCS. I had had an offer for a partial scholarship to play football at the University of Florida by one of the coaches who had taken me to dinner prior to going to OCS. I was excited about the thought of playing football again, but Marilyn’s pull on me became stronger and stronger.

By the end of my 6 weeks at OCS I was determined to stay in school at UCF and win over completely Marilyn’s heart. Once the fall quarter started we saw each other more and more around campus and on dates. She gradually ended her other dating and we became an exclusive couple. We were engaged but her father, who thankfully had recovered from his heart condition, would not allow us to marry until Marilyn had her degree. It was BS before Mrs.! She graduated walking the stage over at the Bob Carr auditorium that summer of 75 and we were married that September 6th. I still had a way to go until I graduated but did do in 1977 where we walked the stage set up inside the drained reflecting pool! Here we are in 2024 still going strong, after 33 years in the Marines, four babies, 11 grandchildren and just months away from our 50th anniversary! Thank you, UCF, for bringing us home and together.

We met in the cafeteria where all the Lambda Chi’s were playing spades. We went to the White Rose formal dance, and we fell in love. Our 19-year-old son, Connery, goes to UCF now.

Phil and I met at UCF in 2012, both going to neighboring high schools in South Florida. Who would’ve thought we would meet 200 miles away in college. We friend-zoned each other for two years and then started dating in 2014. Little did we know we’d end up married in 2020 and bring our little Knight into the world in August 2023. We both share a love for UCF Football. We’ve been to countless games at the Bounce House and to at least five bowl games. Our daughter’s first game was this year’s Space Game. She loved it just as much as we did and stuck it out in the rain. Life would be very different if we did not have UCF in our love story.

We officially met in the lab of Dr. Glenn Cunningham where we both were working on an American Cancer Society scholarship in the summer of 1992. I was already working in the lab breeding house flies for research studies. Yes, I was making maggots. She will deny this, but those maggots for sure got my foot in the door. We were engaged six months later on the monorail at Disney. July 22, 2025, will be 30 years of marriage! Without UCF, where would we be??? Swatting flies.

Marcus and I met at a football watch party at the Rosen campus, where I was living at the time. We bonded during shuttle bus rides back and forth to main and enjoyed being in University Singers together. After some time of just being friends, we made it official! We finished our degrees together and graduated in the same ceremony. We are so excited to see what the future holds for us!

August 26, 1993. I was at a party and heard someone talking about Erika Kane. At the time All My Children was a popular show. I turned around and said – oh what happened today? We started talking and later he walked me to my car. It was 2am, first week of classes and he said he had an 8am class. I said – I bet you won’t make that class. And he said – if I do go to class then you have to go on a date with me. I agreed to the bet.

The next day he went to class and told every sorority sister of mine he saw on campus to let me know that he went to class. We went on a date on September 1st and I knew that night he was the one. We were married in 1998 and just celebrated our 27th year Anniversary. We have three kids including a son who is a Secret Service Agent, a daughter who is a professional figure skater on tour with Disney on Ice and our youngest who will be at UCF in the fall! We are so excited for her and for us to have another Knight in the family!

Our love story is what you would call an MK love story. Justin and I met playing trumpet in the Marching Knights in 2008. We were best friends first and didn’t date until after college, but we are coming up on our second wedding anniversary this April!

Johnathan and Tameka always seemed to run past each other whenever they were near the Reflecting Pond. Although they knew of each, they never spoke to one another. Unbeknownst to Tameka, Johnathan had developed a crush and once he discovered that his fraternity brother knew Tameka, he made plans to get to know her too. An initial double date has led to a 20-year relationship, 11-year marriage, and two beautiful daughters.

Philip and Christina met in 2001 while attending UCF. They fell in love, poolside while living at Jefferson Commons apartments. Bonding over their shared passion for music, art, food and hosting gatherings, they quickly became inseparable.

One year into dating, they got engaged during a fellow UCF couple’s wedding weekend. Both supporters of the arts, Christina majored in English and Philip in graphic design. Christina has published multiple novels and Philip’s art has graced their covers. Both enjoyed successful careers in their respective fields that have allowed them to achieve their dream of working remotely.

Today they work together designing restaurants in Central Florida. In their free time they travel as much as possible and support animal rescue and foster groups. The Benjamins make it a point to go back to campus at least once a year to catch a UCF game with their beloved college crew to reminisce about the amazing friendships, connections and memories they forged at UCF.

I had seen him around the fraternity house when I was there and now my sorority was having a bus ride with his fraternity to the UCF football game and HE was on the bus! Bus rides to the football games back then were so much fun! There was a keg on the bus and lots of cheering and singing on the way to and from the game. It’s funny, but I don’t remember much of the game (not because I was drinking) but I do remember catching Remo looking at me a few times on the bus and flirting. My car was parked at the fraternity house so when the bus stopped there, we both ended up getting off the bus. It had been raining that day, so the parking lot and grass were very muddy. I wasn’t really worried about the rain messing up my hair or makeup. Heck the Florida heat and humidity had taken care of that. But I definitely did not intend to get mud on me. Remo had another idea. He thought this would be the perfect time to throw the girl he had his eye on all day into the mud to get her attention. Well, lucky for him, it worked! And little did he know, he had already caught my attention anyway. We continued to date, sharing experiences at UCF in Greek life, watching sporting events, and even participating in Student Government.

We got married, graduated from UCF, and moved to Washington, DC where Remo went to Georgetown Law School, and I worked with my UCF degree as an early childhood educator. We lived there a few more years after Law school graduation during which we had our first child and he practiced as an attorney in DC. Once we found out we were having twins, we decided to back to the Orlando area where we would have warmer weather and be closer to family. After moving back, we raised our three wonderful children here. We have had some really tough times in life and in the relationship, but we never gave up on each other and always put in the hard work. We opened a business almost a year ago where we both work long hours together and love each other more than ever! We wanted our business to give back in many ways and one way is giving back to the place where our love first started, UCF. We try to support UCF by doing things like attending alumni events, hiring students part time from Handshake and volunteering to be a business for the UCF Knight Shadow opportunity. We are honored and both proud to tell people we are UCF graduates and the friends and memories we have are treasured still today! UCF will always hold a special place in my heart for me and I will be forever grateful for meeting my amazing husband there! Now we hold on to the hope that our daughter will attend medical school at UCF and meet the love of her life too!!!

Brian and I were introduced by mutual friends, also UCF alumni, just after I started classes in ‘96. We fell in love and have been together ever since! We married in ‘99. We have two amazing children who are now Knights! Brad is a mechanical engineering student set to graduate in May ’26. Taylor is a music ed major set to graduate in ’28. Our favorite family memories are at UCF games, both homes and away. Both Brad and Taylor were Marching Knights this year. Go Knights!

Scott and I met at a leadership event in the Fall of 1992, where we were representing our Greek organizations (Kappa Sigma and Pi Beta Phi). They were offering ballroom dancing lessons as part of the evening, and Scott asked me to dance! We quickly learned that we were both students in the College of Business, and had many interests and friends in common. We loved our UCF experiences, including Scott being a student council senator and my serving on the President’s Leadership Council.

We dated for four fun and wonderful years and were married in August of 1996. We both earned our undergraduate and graduate degrees from UCF and have been active and proud UCF alumni ever since! Scott serves on the UCF Foundation board, and I am a board member with Legacy Pointe at UCF. We have 2 amazing sons, Jamison and Jonathan, who, we are thrilled to say, are UCF students as well! Our #UCFLoveStory has come full-circle, and we couldn’t be any happier to be a family of Knights, full of love, that all started at UCF! Go Knights! Charge On!

A Greek Love Story: The little corner of UCF known as Greek Row brought Rene ’06 (Sigma Chi) and Megan (Ries) Blanco ’07 (Zeta Tau Alpha) together in their last year at UCF. The two had known each other for the years leading up to their eventual relationship through mutual friends, socials and events that they attended at UCF before officially becoming an item in late 2005 after Megan attended one of the Sigma Chi formal events.

After UCF Rene and Megan moved to Virginia where Rene attended graduate school at William & Mary. Just after graduation, he proposed before their move to Dallas where the two spent 10 years. Throughout the years the two kept UCF close to their hearts through alumni events in Dallas, returning Orlando for UCF games, traveling to watch the Knights in bowl appearances and to visit with friends that became like family while they were at UCF. Through all of the years it just made sense that eventually their path would lead back to Orlando in 2018.

Since then, the two have become even more involved in UCF. Megan joined the College of Business in 2021 working with the Office of Professional Development and taking on an advisory role for Zeta Tau Alpha on campus while Rene serves on both the Dean’s Advisory Board for the College of Business and the Accounting Board for the Dickson School of Accounting. They both also mentor students, donate to the UCF Foundation and Charge On Fund and are multisport season ticket holders. They’ve expanded their family welcoming another future Knight (Rylan) to the family in 2020 and she’s just as big of a UCF fan as Megan and Rene!

A Colombiana and a Green Bay native were meant to be. We met at UCF almost 11 years ago through the LEAD Scholars program. We were friends for about three years, traveling to quite a few places across North America together, and started dating in March 2017. Over the years we added two furry additions to our family, Ziggy and Cookie. Travel continued to be a part of our love story, and we got engaged in January 2021 in Oahu, Hawaii. We decided to have a travel-themed destination wedding in Medellin, Colombia in January 2024. Our love continues to grow as we head into our second year of marriage!

My (now) husband and I met nearly nine years ago in 2016. We both randomly ended up at a college party at the Pointe near campus. We hit it off one night, bonding over UCF football and have been together ever since. We’ve been married going on five years, have a son together, and are season ticket holders for UCF football where we now take our 2.5-year-old with us. Go Knights and Charge On!

I met my husband through my freshman year roommate in Towers. My roommate insisted that I meet her friend from the college A Capella student organization, and once we met it was a spark from the beginning. We started dating shortly after and were married by that same roommate five years later! Today, we have been married two-and-a-half years and love getting back to campus for sports games and alumni events.