Bryna and Benjamin Birge

During my super senior year (I had taken time off to attend boot camp after joining the U.S. Air Force Reserve) I was in my second home, the Health & Public Affairs building, for a homeland security class. It was the first day of class and I was speaking with a friend as the class filled in. A very handsome man sitting behind me interrupted when he heard me talk about another mutual friend. He introduced himself as Ben, and we all began to talk until class started. Once the class ended Ben told me he had to have knee surgery the following week and asked if I would take notes for him. I agreed. The following week I contacted him with the notes for class and he said he still wasn’t feeling well and asked for notes for the following week. I agreed — I mean knee surgery stinks — but when he asked again for the week following I knew he was just trying to avoid class. I told Ben not only was he going to class to take his own notes but be was also taking me to dinner for my troubles. I’m not sure what he was expecting but it surely wasn’t that answer. Nevertheless, he agreed and we went to dinner after the next class. That was our first date. Fast forward to graduation, and we both ended up in the same police academy and started applying for jobs afterward. We both decided it was up to fate to see where our relationship would go. Neither of us was interested in a long-distance relationship and jobs were scarce. Low and behold we were both hired by the same law enforcement agency! It’s been 11 years since that homeland security class and we’ve been married for eight wonderful years and have two awesome kids. UCF has brought me many special relationships but my husband is my favorite.