Willie Walden II ’15 and Kyra Derobi Walden ’15

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