Monica Rodriguez and Nicholas Avellino

It’s funny how destiny works. Nicholas and I both graduated in 2014. You may instantly think, “Oh, wow! They probably met during their time at UCF.” But that is not the case! Nicholas and I met in 2016 in West Palm Beach, Florida at a UCF Alumni Palm Beach Chapter event. That day we both decided to attend one of the chapter’s football watch parties at Bar Louie. We had an instant connection and both shared a big passion for our alma mater. We decided to exchange numbers to get to know each other more after the event was over. Ever since that day, we have been practically inseparable. We have been dating for two and a half years. We have many common interests, from running to going to Disney, but the most important one was our love for our alma mater. We never missed a watch party the season we met because we always looked forward to seeing one another and rooting for the best football team out there! The following season we even made it out to a couple of home games. After a year of friendship, we decided to officially become a couple. Our love for UCF led us to starting traditions together that we hope to someday pass along to our family. We got to attend the Peach Bowl and the Fiesta Bowl together and made many memories during our UCF adventures. We are elated that our love for UCF has brought us together because we truly bring the best out of each other. We are now both highly involved with our local UCF Alumni chapter and serve as board members. We love sharing the UCF spirit beyond our team at UCF.