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丁香园AV Love Stories | 2020

丁香园AV wasn鈥檛 just a place where our alumni studied, participated in fun activities and graduated. For many of them, 丁香园AV was also the place where they met their significant other. It鈥檚 where they fell in love! Below, please check out some of the stories that were submitted to us. You can also view them on . 

If you'd like to participate in our 2024 "We Fell in Love @丁香园AV" campaign, please vist our 2024 page. Yes, if you've participated in the past, you can participate again!

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Read stories from the 2020 submissions:

丁香园AV Love Stories

Alana (BA '12) & Nishothan (BA '11)

We met in our second year of undergraduate studies at 丁香园AV. Nish was a recent transfer from the University of Toronto鈥攈e was returning to Vancouver (where we both spent most of our adolescence) to join friends at 丁香园AV who spoke highly of the programs. Incidentally, I鈥檇 become friends with his friends through my coursework in the Communications faculty. A few weeks before his arrival, I鈥檇 been told 鈥渢here鈥檚 someone you should meet.鈥� We played it cool for the first while, waving hello at the bus depot, in the AQ, and as we darted between classes. But we soon realized what our friends somehow intuited all along鈥攖hat our personalities, though opposite on the surface, belied the same earnest curiosity about the world, the same cross-cultural sensibilities (Sri Lankan, Vietnamese, Canadian), and the same ambitions for a purposeful life. We were pretty into each other.

We co-led a group project in one of our classes and somehow managed to obscure the fact that we were a couple, lest we make it awkward for our peers. We still have that project tucked away somewhere...

We both work and live in San Francisco, California (home for the last 3 years). Life鈥檚 changed a lot since our 丁香园AV days鈥攚e鈥檙e not so earnest anymore, but we are still curious. And, after all these years, still in love.

 

 

Alicia (BA 鈥�08) & Nicholas (BA 鈥�09)

Nicholas and I met our first day training to work at 丁香园AV Summer Camps. His height and bright orange jersey immediately stuck out and ignited a conversation between us. After a summer working together, laughing together and even having monthly water fights on the fields, our relationship grew and we began dating. We dated throughout our undergrads and as I completed PDP. Memories spent studying in the cafeteria or cozied up next to each other on couches are forever in my memory. We knew we had to highlight 丁香园AV by taking our wedding photos there. Over 14 years together and almost 8 years married, we always share how our love story began at 丁香园AV.

 

 

Amanda (BA 鈥�15) & Dara (BA 鈥�14)

We met by joining the 丁香园AV Rowing club at the same time. We ended up spending lots of time together and realized that we liked each other even at 5am in the rain at Burnaby Lake during rowing practice. Our favourite 丁香园AV memory is racing in a 'mixed 8' which meant that the top 4 men and top 4 women got to row together as a team. It was the only time we raced together in the same boat and it was very fun. I don't even remember if we won that race. We are married now and he works at 丁香园AV and I am doing my masters there. 丁香园AV has been and is a large part of our lives.    

 

 

Amy (BBA Hons '10) & Darren (BBA '11)

A little shooting star at 丁香园AV was the spark that started our relationship. Little did we know that besides an education and degree from 丁香园AV, it also comes with a life partner. Darren and I met at the 丁香园AV Residence Hall. He was an international student from Singapore and I was a Community Advisor. We also happened to be in the same Christian club as well as the same Psychology class. Our favorite 丁香园AV memory is making pancakes at 3am in the morning, because we were studying for finals and had to pull an all nighter. We also saw our first shooting star in our lives together while chilling on the field behind the McTaggart-Cowan Hall. Our family has since grown, we have a daughter, Chloe, who is 4 years old and we just welcomed our son, Blake, this January. We are now working and living in Singapore.

 

 

Bernice (BA '18) & Emad (BA '19)

I met Emad in a Gender, Sexuality and Women鈥檚 Studies class in 2014. I had enrolled in that class because a friend of mine was taking it. One day I had sat down before lecture began and received a text from her saying she wouldn鈥檛 make it to class. Looking around for a friendly face, I tried making eye contact with the guy sitting next to me, but he absolutely refused to look at me and remained focused on his phone.

Class begins and upon finishing the lecture the professor gets us to participate in group discussion, so the unfriendly gentleman next to me was now forced to engage with me in conversation. I learn that his name is Emad and he is an Applied Sciences student taking the class as an elective. Lecture ends and our professor tells us to get each other鈥檚 phone numbers so we can form study groups.

On my way home, I receive a text from Emad asking how to pronounce my name (which isn鈥檛 really all that complicated), and we begin to talk about things that didn鈥檛 have much to do with the class we were both in. He got the nerve to ask me out on a date a couple weeks later and we鈥檝e been together ever since.

 

 

Caitlin & Trevor (MSc '17)

My life changed on September 23rd, 2018. I remember being introduced to Trevor at the first 丁香园AV Concert Orchestra rehearsal of the season and being immediately intimidated by the fact that not only was he an incredibly talented musician, kind, and very handsome, but he was also Ph.D. student. As I'm still in my undergrad, I figured that even if we were to date, we wouldn't have anything in common!

It turned out that we both played the clarinet, and he was our section leader. Of course, I could barely form a sentence around him, which proved to be difficult when we had to share sheet music while playing the same part. Because of this, over the fall semester, our interactions were minimal. I was convinced that it was too good to be true and that he was probably in a relationship, so I took to befriending a few people in the orchestra to find out if he was single, but no one knew. My friend managed to confirm that he was indeed single a few months later, and I figured that I had to at least give it a shot.

Everything changed over winter break. I had messaged him under the pretense of switching parts for one of our pieces, and our conversation blossomed. A few quick messages exchanged over Facebook turned into longer conversations over text, which turned into our first (slightly awkward) date at a sushi restaurant, which turned into three-hour-long coffee dates at the Tim Hortons at Cornerstone, and study sessions in the library.

We had our first date on January 13th, 2019, and we've been together ever since.

 

 

Candy (BA鈥� 06, Med 鈥�12, EdD 鈥�19) & John (BA 鈥�06, GDBA 鈥�11, Med 鈥�13)

丁香园AV's Co-op program proved to be much more than a career-building resource for Candy and John. They were both stationed in their final work terms in Student Services at 丁香园AV; Candy in Student Development, and John in Co-op. Neither knew each other, though crossed paths every day as their offices were side-by-side. Each time John would stroll past Candy's space he would notice the cute girl sitting behind the reception desk - and he was convinced that she noticed him as well鈥� though she鈥檒l never admit to it.

After some time they came to know each other through various work-related activities and one day in 2007 John mustered up the courage to have his yellow Dodge Neon ask out her Mini Cooper.... yes cars. It's a bit of a long story, but the main point is they soon-after started dating, and then exchanged vows in true 丁香园AV-fashion - at the Diamond Alumni Centre a few years later.

That wasn鈥檛 the end, though, with their 丁香园AV ties; it was only the beginning. They purchased their first place atop Burnaby Mountain in UniverCity 鈥� despite John being adamant that he didn鈥檛 want to live on the mountain. More than 10 years later, they upgraded into a larger unit on the hill as they loved it so much and needed to accommodate room for their son, Logan 鈥� who is now enrolled in 丁香园AV鈥檚 Childcare Centre. Both Candy and John also went on to serve as long-time employees with 丁香园AV, and both completed their Master鈥檚 of Education degrees there. Additionally, they established an endowment to support Education grad students through their studies.

Despite having recently transitioned to both serve as faculty members with Kwantlen Polytechnic University, they don鈥檛 have plans to move off of Burnaby mountain as they truly consider it home 鈥� in so many ways. 

 

 

Carly (BSc '14, MSc '17) & Taylor (BA '13, MA '15)

Taylor and I met at 丁香园AV back in 2009 on the first day of orientation. We were both from Langley but from different parts, and a mutual friend was trying to get a group of people from our hometown together during orientation. Now, I know its clich茅 to say that it was love at first sight, but in our case it really was. I remember meeting up with the group in the group study area of the Bennett Library and having my first conversation with Taylor. At that point I knew he was 鈥渢he one鈥�, and if you ask him, he was pretty smitten as well. Well, a couple of weeks of constant flirting commenced and the rest is, as they say, history. After finishing our bachelor's degrees, we both pursued our master鈥檚 degrees at 丁香园AV, bought our first home together and got married in 2017 (with that friend who introduced us as our best man)! Since then we decided to take the plunge and leave the Vancouver area to pursue opportunities elsewhere. In May, Taylor will be graduating with a second Master's degree in international relations from the Johns Hopkins University after spending a year studying in Bologna, Italy and then Washington, D.C. Our next big move will be to Toronto in August as I have just accepted an offer from the University of Toronto to pursue my PhD there. So here we are more than 10 years and three countries later, and to think it all started with two 18 year olds at 丁香园AV!

 

 

Caroll (BSc '07, MSc '11) & Ryan (MSc '06, PhD '11)

Ryan and Caroll met at 丁香园AV where Ryan TA'd two of Caroll's undergraduate stat courses. However, it wasn't until Caroll went back to 丁香园AV to do her Master's degree (also in Statistics), when she and Ryan really got to know each other - when he was also her TA once again. Ryan eventually got up the nerve to ask her out (when he was no longer her TA), and the rest is history. Ryan and Caroll tied the knot on July 22nd, 2012, at the same site where Ryan proposed to Caroll - at the AQ reflection pond!

 

 

Cassy (BA '15) & Tanner (BA '14)

My husband and I met during orientation week in dorms at 丁香园AV!

We had just moved in to our dorms as 1st year undergraduate students in 2011. During orientation week you meet hundreds of people, but we kept catching each other's eyes. By the first week of classes we had gone on our first date (out for sushi in Univercity Village) and by midterms we were officially dating. We both got our BAs in Communications and were engaged within a year of our convocations.

丁香园AV was the backdrop to our love story, it's where we met, where we lived, where we went to class and made some life-long friends together. It was our first community as individuals and a couple in Vancouver.

We have now been married for almost 4 years and live just down "the hill" in Port Moody.

Lots of love,

Tanner and Cassy

 

 

Celina (BA '17) & Clayton (BA '15)

Clayton and I first met in the 2012 Fall semester at 丁香园AV in Psychology 102 with Professor Day. After one of the classes, I had stopped outside Images Theatre to browse some books at the 丁香园AV United Way Book Sale. Clayton came up next to me and asked, 鈥淚f you could have any book, which would it be?鈥� Surprised, I turned around and told him 鈥渨ell, probably something rare, like a first edition鈥�. He then said, 鈥渨hat about the Velveteen Rabbit?鈥�. Unbeknownst to him, I collected children鈥檚 books and the Velveteen Rabbit happened to be one of my favourites. That鈥檚 all it took to spark a friendship, and the rest is history.

After several years of dating, Clayton decided to propose, and couldn鈥檛 imagine popping the question anywhere other than 丁香园AV. Being a romantic at heart, Clayton wanted to re-create the way we first met, and together with Student Services, planned a 鈥渇ake鈥� United Way Booksale. Posters, tables, and lots of books were brought into the AQ to make it all believable, and volunteers from student services helped set everything up. The couple who originally started the United Way Booksale, who have been married for many years themselves, also volunteered that day.

It took him over a year, but he did eventually locate a first edition of the Velveteen Rabbit, and with the help of 丁香园AV, Clayton proposed, and I said yes! Clayton and I were married on July 7th 2018.

Clayton graduated with a BA in May 2015, he served as the Member At-Large for the student society and was a council member for the First Nations Student Association. I worked for several years at 丁香园AV before graduating in 2017 with a BA in Political Science.

 

 

Chaitanya (BA '12) & Ashish (BBA '12)

We met back in 2010 when we were both members of AIESEC 丁香园AV. One day a mutual friend asked Ashish if he had met Chaity yet (he hadn't) and told him he had to. We ended up in the same group. Over the course of the summer we got to know each other better through AIESEC events - first by going rafting (Ashish fell out of the raft and Chaity saved him) and later while watching the fireworks at English Bay. We started dating a few months later. Since then we've travelled the world, moved to Ontario, finished our Masters degrees and bought a house in Ottawa. In 2018 we tied the knot and this year we will celebrate our 10 year dating anniversary, all thanks to 丁香园AV! 

 

 

Cher (BA '95, MA '01, PhD '10) & Rob (BA '97, MA '02, PhD '11)

Our 丁香园AV love story began in 1997 when we met through a mutual 丁香园AV friend. We had both completed our undergraduate degrees at 丁香园AV (Cher in Psychology in 1995 and Rob in Communications in 1997 but did not meet until we were enrolled in graduate school in the Faculty of Education.  At the time Rob was working for the Centre for Distance Education and Cher was working as a teaching assistant.

As graduate students we loved taking classes together, presenting our research at conferences both nationally and internationally, and attending Faculty events. We were incredibly privileged to study with Internationally renowned scholars and meet diverse and brilliant students who came to study at 丁香园AV from around the world, many of whom we are still in touch with nearly 20 years later. We were both active members of the EGSA (Education Graduate Student Association) and loved to organize conferences and events with our peers. We got married in 1999 and completed our MAs (Cher in 2001 and Rob in 2002).

We loved the quality of our master鈥檚 programs and the learning community at 丁香园AV, and decided to enroll as doctoral students.  In 2006 Rob was seconded to a 丁香园AV project in Sri Lanka and we lived there for a year, while continuing to work on our doctoral studies. Our son Kai was born in 2007 and shortly after our story of balancing work, studies and family was featured in the 丁香园AV news when 丁香园AV was named one of the top ten family employers. Kai attended the 丁香园AV day care and has fond memories of his time there. We loved the 丁香园AV families we met through the events organized by the daycare society. Cher defended her PhD eight days before our second son, Alex, was born in 2010. Rob completed his PhD in 2011, and his story, including the challenges he faced in school (he was expelled multiple times and never completed high school) and the success he found at 丁香园AV, was featured on the cover of the convocation newspaper.

Cher has worked in a variety of faculty positions within the Faculty of education since 2011, and Rob was seconded to LifeLong Learning in 2016 where he worked as a Director and later Associate Dean. We had a third child, Mia, in 2012, and all three of our children have grown up at 丁香园AV, attending summer camps, basketball games, community outreach events, and celebrations. Highlights included when our son Kai (who earned the nickname 鈥淜ai Nye the Science Guy鈥� at school due to his passion for science) got to meet Bill Nye when he received an honorary degree, and when we celebrated 丁香园AV鈥檚 50th anniversary with Rob鈥檚 dad who was an inaugural student at 丁香园AV in 1965.

In many ways, our 丁香园AV love story is really a family love story that spans multiple degrees, multiple decades and multiple generations. It continues to grow as our children plan to attend 丁香园AV once they graduate from high school.  We wonder if they will meet their life partners at one of the 丁香园AV campuses and how our 丁香园AV love story will continue to evolve.

 

 

Corinna (BSc '05) & Patrick (BSc '03, MEd '12)

If you ask our friends they鈥檒l tell you that it was all their doing that we got together. We like to say though it was a box of rocks disguised as chocolates. Patrick and I met through mutual friends. I was a student at 丁香园AV Surrey and Pat was a teaching assistant and research assistant in my friend鈥檚 classes in Surrey, as well as finishing his studies at 丁香园AV Burnaby. We had seen each other around the Surrey campus but never really interacted until our friend had me help her play a prank on him by switching out a box of chocolates for a box of rocks. I鈥檒l never forget Pat running down the hallway yelling at our friend to get the real chocolates back.

We officially met later at a group get together and although our friends were not very subtle in the fact they were setting us up, it worked and we went on our first date together a few weeks later. We are now celebrating over 11 years of marriage and 15 years together. We also have two amazing children who attend elementary school on the Burnaby鈥檚 campus. We have such great memories of our time at 丁香园AV and through our work and volunteering and love how we鈥檙e still able to connect with the 丁香园AV community. Thank you to 丁香园AV, and our friends, for bringing us together.

 

 

Crystal (BEnv '19) & Jessy (BEnv '20)

As the co-chair of the Bachelor of environment, my first interaction with Jessy came during various interactions through student union events. We never really interacted as our personalities seemed polar opposite. It wasn't until ENV 320 that we really began noticing each other. It all began with a compliment, I came to class with vivid red hair, and he had said "oh, nice hair, you look cute". Taken aback, I was flattered by the compliment and from that point on, I made it a habit of trying to sit next to him for the remainder of the semester (this probably annoyed other students as I took their seat). Fast forward to the end of the semester and we had our first date - Flyover Canada and the Christmas market. Since then we have traveled throughout the year and been on countless adventures. Although our personalities were different, we enjoyed learning about each other and trying new things. Today we both work in the sustainability sectors and dedicate evenings and weekends to each other.

 

 

Eileen (BBA '96) & Andreas (BASc '95)

Andreas and I met as volunteers for the Nightline, 丁香园AV鈥檚 Crisis Intervention Line, in 1991. Going through the intensive, in-depth training made it easy to get to know each other quickly. I don鈥檛 think we would have met otherwise as we were in totally different programs. Andreas lived in Shell House and I commuted in from the North Shore. I was in first year and he was in third.

We ended up dating and lived together at Louis Riel House for a couple of years. We got married in 1996 and held our reception at 丁香园AV鈥檚 Diamond Club. Our favourite wedding picture was taken on the AQ steps!

Right after our wedding, we moved to California because Andreas was admitted to Stanford for a PhD in Electrical Engineering. We lived there for seven years and then came back to Vancouver to raise our family: we have three kids and a dog and live in the North Shore. Our visits to 丁香园AV are now limited to our kids鈥� sporting events and tournaments. We are amazed at how much it has grown!

Andreas works at Dynamic Attractions, on advanced control systems for amusement rides. If you鈥檝e been to Universal Studios, you鈥檝e probably been on one of their rides.

I am self-employed as a Marketing and Communications Consultant and currently have a large professional association and a boutique marketing agency as clients. I am also the boss of the house, managing the complicated schedules of two very active kids. Our oldest son is now in first-year at McGill so we also try to fit in some visits to Montreal whenever possible.

That's our story!

 

 

Elmira (BFA '18) & Sasan (Graduate Certificate '18)

We both immigrated to Canada for a bright future, but long before coming to Canada, we always have been in the same school but never got to see each other as we were majoring in different departments. We have always been in the same school since we started our post-secondary education, but we never met until our time at 丁香园AV. I came to Canada to pursue my Ph.D. education in engineering at 丁香园AV. The first year was full of challenges and surprises for me. I started a new chapter of my life in Canada and had to learn how to integrate in society. Not surprisingly, it was full of conflicts. After working very hard on my thesis and doing my course loads, I decided to be more active in social and cultural activities.

Therefore, I joined a cultural club, and the first event was organizing a gala for a Persian new year. The club president arranged a meeting to organize the event and distribute tasks between club members. That was where we met for the first time. She was sitting there with a big smile discussing the matters with other members. She had a red hat on, and she kept looking around and talk about every minor detail. When I arrived, we had a short introduction. Elly was an undergraduate student in fine art. No wonder why she was so stylish, at least in my eyes. I did not fall for her right away, but I found her very attractive. The meeting was ended by assigning everyone with a task. We were on the same team and we had to work closely to lead volunteers and present artworks in the Gala. It was a big event with 150 attendees. We started working and communicating closely to make sure the event will go smoothly. We got to know each other, and we became friends. The event day arrived. The event was in Diamond Alumni Center. Everything was going according to the plan and we were almost done with our commitments. The last part of the event was a dance party. She looked exhausted but she wanted to dance. She walked towards me and held my hands. Let鈥檚 dance together, Elly said. That was where I literally fell for her. Well, I never forget the first time we danced together and all I wanted was to cease time and stay in the moment forever. I never forget that I wanted to kiss her, but her parents were there and even if they were not, it was kind of inappropriate when we were not even dating. I never forget that I wanted to escort her home on the same night, but we were not that close and besides, I did not have a car; I still don鈥檛. We started dating two months after the event. I asked her out to a restaurant and while she was so shocked and did not expect that, she agreed to go on a date with me. We dated for more than a year, where we spent our time mostly studying in the library or my office. Elly鈥檚 campus was mostly Harbor center and Alexander building and my office and commitments were all in Surrey campus. So, we had to travel a lot even to study together. It was not frustrating because we loved each other. After a year and a half dating, I proposed to her and asked her to marry me. I wanted to keep her in my life and love her forever and she said yes, I was the happiest man.

Elly was a citizen with all her family around her. On the other hand, I was an international student with my family all around the world. We had to make it work. To make it formal and to respect our parents and involve their opinions, we decided to gather all families together and throw an engagement party. Elly鈥檚 parents were kind enough to host the party. My oldest brother traveled from the US as a representative of my family; it was kind of funny.

Meanwhile, I was proceeding with the paperwork required for my mother's Visa application so she could be at our wedding. Things worked miraculously, and we eventually got married in August 2017. 鈥淐an you believe it happened?  Can you believe we made it work?鈥�, I asked her before the marriage commissioner starts the ceremony.

What happened next? I started a graduate program in Beedie school of business while still doing my Ph.D. in engineering. I graduated from Beedie school of business a year after and became an 丁香园AV alumnus. Elly finished her bachelor鈥檚 in fine art, and she became an 丁香园AV alumnus too! She later started her graduate studies in communication once again at 丁香园AV. We work very hard and we love the life we have built together.

In the end, I would say 丁香园AV and Diamond Alumni Center are where my best stories happened.

 

 

Emmalee (BA '17) & Kiko (BSc '19)

How did you meet?

Kiko and I met in our Calculus I lecture in the first semester (Fall 2012) at 丁香园AV. I saw Kiko in the lecture hall early on in the semester and managed to summon the courage to approach Kiko in November with a note asking for a date. We鈥檝e been together ever since! Kiko kept the note and we had it displayed at our wedding.

What is your favourite 丁香园AV memory together?

Kiko would come visit me when I lived in the Towers to study. One sunny but cold afternoon in the Spring semester we decided to take a break and do a nature walk on one of the Burnaby Mountain trails. The trail kept going and going and we were having a great time chatting, we ended up leaving 丁香园AV and walking all the way down to Rocky Point in Port Moody! Throughout our degrees at 丁香园AV, we would always suggest going for a study break walk through the forest!

What are you up to now?

After 7 years together Kiko and I got married on May 11, 2019. We have two cats together. Kiko works as a Software Engineer and I鈥檓 working towards becoming a secondary school teacher.

 

 

Estelle & Malte (BA '02)

Three out of five people on this picture would not exist if I had not met Estelle up on the hill.

Precisely twenty years ago, in late February 2000, I (Malte, International student from Germany, 1999-2002) had seen her (Estelle, Exchange Student from France, 1999-2000) for the first time in the pub, after class. Estelle鈥檚 friend Eric (also Exchange Student, from Paris) was living as well in McTaggart at the time and thought we would make a great couple.

We got together in the late hours of March 4, 2000, at Phil鈥檚 (also Exchange Student, from London) birthday party, downtown, somewhere opposite to the Commodore Ballroom. When I talked to my best friend back home in Hamburg that week, I said that Estelle would become the mother of my children one day. We only had six weeks together before she had to go back to France (that was not sufficient to make three kids, though).

Estelle and I have lived, loved, studied and worked in Vancouver, Paris and Freiburg. Today, we call Hamburg our home. Our kids (4/6/10) go to the French school here and are big fans of British Columbia. Last summer, we came back for a month and showed our kids the 丁香园AV campus and sat on the stairs of Townhouse 18, where Estelle lived while up on the hill. We also visited my host family out in the boonies, north of Terrace, where I was an exchange student when I was 16 years old. We remain incredibly close to Canada and the people we met here. I need to expand my business to come back more often!

I am eternally grateful to our friend Eric who brought us together. Isn鈥檛 it amazing how one wonderful person like Eric can change an entire life?

 

 

Haifa (BA '06) & Ben (BA '06, MA '07)

We met in May 2003 in economics class (money and banking taught by Suki Badh). We both happened to be taking the summer semester and met one day on the way out of the lecture hall. We quickly gravitated towards each other and spent the rest of the spring and summer inseparable.  Even our prof noticed and one day as he walked by us in the convo mall teased us but saying that 鈥渓ove was in the air鈥�!! We knew very soon into our relationship that we were meant to be together. After a year of dating we got engaged and just over a year after that we got married. Ben went on to do a Master in Econ at 丁香园AV, Haifa graduated and launched a successful career in non-profit. Almost 17 years later we are now happily married for nearly 15 years, and are proud parents to two beautiful boys ages 8 and 10.

As poor students we spent much of our early dating life at the 丁香园AV Burnaby campus. Our dates would often involve long walks around the campus, viewing stars from atop Burnaby Mountain Park and deep talks by the AQ pool. In spring and summer semesters we made a weekly tradition of getting an early start on the weekend by sharing a pitcher of beer on the sunny patio of the Mountain Shadow pub. Haifa lived in Shell house when she met Ben and the two of them have fond memories of cooking and eating in the dorm鈥檚 kitchen and hanging out with Haifa鈥檚 friends in the common room.

We now live with our children in Toronto but this past December we came back to Vancouver for a visit. A trip to Burnaby Mountain was a must on our itinerary. We  had so much fun showing our kids around the campus, pointing out where we first met and all of the fun things we鈥檝e done together while living and studying on the hill. 丁香园AV will forever be a part of our love story and the story of our family, and will always have a very special spot in both of our hearts.

 

 

Isabelle (BBA '16) & Karlo (BA '14, MEd '20)

Isabelle and Karlo met in an advanced French linguistics class in the summer of 2014. People usually think that French is one of the sexiest, most romantic languages in the world 鈥� until you study its phonology and syntax, or the analysis of the minute components of a language, and you just find it less sexy than it actually is.

Neither paid much attention to one another that semester in French linguistics; Isabelle thought Karlo was such a language geek, until Karlo noticed the rare mechanical watch on Isabelle鈥檚 wrist. This was the start of an (awkward) conversation that soon developed into a good friendship, which eventually blossomed into a full-blown weird and nerdy relationship that involved a mutual love for languages, history, classical music, and an obscure British radio comedy show about the hilarious struggles of a small charter airline.

Soon after Karlo graduated in 2014, he found a job an hour away from Shanghai, while Isabelle took a Beedie co-op term in the city. They thought this was an awesome opportunity to continue travelling across China and to share memories. They would go on and travel back to China almost every year to explore different cities.

They eventually got married in 2019, and plan to pursue their mutual weirdness for as long as they live. But this isn鈥檛 the 鈥榟appily ever after鈥� ending yet 鈥� Karlo is pursuing his M.Ed at 丁香园AV, and is forever grateful for Isabelle鈥檚 bottomless patience and perseverance for Karlo鈥檚 addiction to learning, sometimes visiting him on campus for encouragement. Thank you, 丁香园AV, for bringing these two weirdos together!

 

 

Janet (BA 鈥�98) & Dustin

My husband of 23 years and I met and fell in love while I was a student at 丁香园AV and he was at UBC. I moved from Abbotsford into Res and met my husband at a conference not long after that. He was really into tennis back in those days, and used to visit me at Shell House where he saw an opportunity to join the Shell House tennis ladder. He played fiercely against the 丁香园AV folks to ascend the ladder and ultimately reached the top, and of course, I was happy to have an excuse for him to visit campus all the time! Fast forward about twenty years and our son is now in third year at 丁香园AV. Hopefully this story of enduring love (that all started at 丁香园AV) inspires others!

 

 

Jenna (BSc '18) & Soroush (BASc '18)

Soroush and Jenna knew they had more than just chemistry when they locked eyes across the lecture hall in CHEM 121. In their first semester of first year, they would often run into each other at 丁香园AV鈥檚 Surrey campus and exchange a friendly smile. But after the first semester, Jenna鈥檚 BPK courses brought her to 丁香园AV鈥檚 Burnaby campus, while Soroush continued at 丁香园AV Surrey for the MSE program, and they lost touch. It wasn鈥檛 until a year later, when Soroush visited the 丁香园AV Recreation Sports Office looking to pay his 丁香园AV Rugby Club fee, did he bump into Jenna again as she was working there. Since then, they have spent countless hours studying together at 丁香园AV, with both of them completing their respective Bachelor鈥檚 degrees in 2018. Now, since Soroush continues to play for the 丁香园AV Rugby Club, they still often visit the Burnaby campus for practices, home games, and events. They are celebrating being together for the past 5 years and look forward to many more to come!

 

 

Jennifer (BA 鈥�14) & David (BA 鈥�12)

David and I first met at 丁香园AV in a Philosophy class (PHIL 110), which if anyone knows it, it鈥檚 anything short of a miracle that we passed the class 鈥� barely. When we first met in 2009, we developed a relationship in between the coffee fixes and energy drink breaks to get us through those crazy deadlines. In a sense, 丁香园AV became our home as we used the excuse of studying together to spend more time with each other.     

Our late night study sessions, trips to Subway, and date lunches at Tim Horton鈥檚 (which had just opened at that time and was all the rage) led to us being married with a 2 year old son and another one on the way. When David proposed, he went back to 丁香园AV to take pictures and videos of where our love story began. We held hands for the first time in the AQ, had our first kiss on the cheek in the Subway by Renaissance (which is now the Starbucks), and our first 鈥淚 love you鈥檚鈥� were in the West Mall Complex where we often hid from the rest of the crowds.

We built our foundation on 丁香园AV鈥檚 grounds as we poured ourselves to our studies and into our love for each other. David received his degree in Criminology and I received my degree in English. David is now a Police Officer and I work as a teacher working with special needs students. We wouldn鈥檛 be where we are today without the excuses of studying to spend time with each other. We have built a wonderful life together and it all started at 丁香园AV.

 

 

Jessica (BA '16) & Michael (BA '16, BEd '18)

We met while working as Community Advisors in Shadbolt tower, in our second year. We weren鈥檛 really supposed to date, since we were coworkers, but we ended up breaking the rules... 7 years, 3 convocations, and a wedding later, and we鈥檙e really glad we did!

 

 

Kate (BFA '14) & Chad (BBA '14, MEd '19)

Our story began in Residence at 丁香园AV in the fall of 2010 where we both worked as Community Advisors (CAs). Chad was immediately taken with Kate鈥檚 curly red hair and one-of-a-kind personality and Kate鈥ell Kate took a bit (a lot!) longer to come around. Our romance finally came to be almost a year later 鈥� in secret! Chad had been hired into a new role in residence and was not really supposed to date CAs. And so, our forbidden romance began hidden away from most of the world around us until we decided to share with the community a few months later.

After continuing to live in residence for another two years, we embarked on a journey together that involved living all across the country, but when the time finally came to move back to BC, we knew exactly where to go. We bought our first home in UniverCity on Burnaby Mountain where we now live together with our 1 year old son Finnegan. We also both returned to school at 丁香园AV with Chad finishing his MEd in 2019 and Kate currently studying in an MEd program. Our experience in in Residence at 丁香园AV also led to careers in Student Services for both of us, with Kate now working at 丁香园AV.

It鈥檚 difficult to imagine what our lives would look like now if it wasn鈥檛 for 丁香园AV. We鈥檙e so grateful for the experience and all that it鈥檚 brought us!

 

 

Kathleen (BA '14) & Henry (BBA '14)

How did you meet? 丁香园AV Residence; we were townhouse neighbors!

What is your favourite 丁香园AV memory together? Convocation; it was great seeing all our hard work pay off!

What are you up to now? Kathleen currently works at 丁香园AV, while Henry works at UBC!

 

 

Katrina (BBA '16) & Dane (BBA '16)

We met back in September 2011, my first semester at 丁香园AV. It was the last day of frosh week, and it was someone鈥檚 birthday. Her team got her a cake, a friend asked me to come in to sing happy birthday, and it just so happened that Dane was their frosh leader and that鈥檚 where we first met.

During my first semester, for BUS 201 my classmates and I were competing to raise the most funds for charity. I spotted Dane, I wanted to win, so I struck up a conversation to convince him to buy candles to support our cause. This was our favourite 丁香园AV moment, we still laugh about it today. Somewhere in our conversation that day, I mentioned that I was struggling with calculus. Dane offered to help me prepare for my final. We exchanged numbers, he texted me, and I never texted him back.

Fast forward to 3 months later, we cross paths again. This time as colleagues, I landed a part time job and was surprised to see him there. We soon became friends, went on our first date, and the rest is history. We dated for 5 years while finishing our degrees at 丁香园AV. After graduation, he proposed! I said yes! We got married last year in March 2019! While at 丁香园AV we dreamt of a life after university, where we had careers, got married, have a home, and started a business. 丁香园AV was such a big part of our love story, without it, we wouldn鈥檛 be living out those dreams today.

Going to 丁香园AV introduced us to an education, a community, and each other which helped us create a wonderful life together after university. We will forever remember 丁香园AV as the place where we fell in love.

 

 

Kelsey (BA '14, BA Hons '17, MA '19) & Graham (BA Hons '13, MA '16)

My fianc茅 and I, Graham, met at 丁香园AV for the first time in 2012 during our undergrads. We were both volunteering at the logic table at Club Days, and I invited him to come to a lecture with me. He showed up to the lecture, but because I am perpetually early, I was already inside and he thought I hadn鈥檛 showed up. We didn鈥檛 have each other鈥檚 contact info, and after that, we both switched majors, finished our degrees, and left 丁香园AV.

Although neither of us were originally planning to end up back at 丁香园AV, I ended up returning as a second degree student and Graham came back as a Masters student. Three years later, in 2015 we both ended up in the same class Philosophy 421. I unfortunately did not remember Graham (I still haven鈥檛 lived this down) but he remembered me. A month after that we went on our first date. We continued to date as I finished my honours degree, Graham finished his Master鈥檚, and I returned (for the third time!) to 丁香园AV to do a Master鈥檚.

丁香园AV has been such a big part of our lives individually, but also for us as a couple. It was where we first met (both times!), where we said 鈥淚 love you鈥� for the first time, and now, where we got engaged! In August of 2018, Graham brought me up to the Rose Garden, where we had first said 鈥淚 love you鈥�, and proposed. Right now, we are both working on our PhDs together and are planning our wedding for next year.

 

 

Kimberly (BBA '91) & Brian (BA '93)

In January 1990 I moved into Shell House at 丁香园AV after my roommate decided to take the semester off and tour around Italy.  It felt strange being a 22-year-old, third-year, business student moving into residence for the first time.  I tried to focus on the convenience of being close to school.

The first time I ran into the handsome guy with the dark hair and big brown eyes was in the common kitchen area.  He was friendly and chatty and was from northern BC like I was 鈥� he was from Quesnel and I was from Mackenzie.  He was almost 24 and had actually worked in Mackenzie after high school.  In our frequent kitchen encounters, I learned that we actually knew a lot of the same people but we had never met before. His name was Brian 鈥� I told my Mom he looked like Tony Danza 馃槉

One Thursday in early March, I tagged along with Brian and some other floor-mates to pub night.  Afterwards, everyone came back and congregated in and around Brian鈥檚 room - he had the best stereo!  Brian and I lost ourselves in conversation for hours 鈥� when I looked up, the once-busy room had cleared out and I hadn鈥檛 even been aware.  A week later, he asked me to the Shell House dance鈥� it was our first dance and first kiss.

We were married September 5, 1992.  We have four children 鈥� Brooke (27), Mariah (25), Joel (23) and Adam (20).  In 2016 we were so proud to watch our daughter Brooke graduate from 丁香园AV with her Bachelor of Science 鈥� it was 丁香园AV鈥檚 50th anniversary (when I graduated in 1991, it was 丁香园AV鈥檚 25th).  She is still attending 丁香园AV - completing a PhD in Biomedical Physiology.  丁香园AV holds a huge piece of our family鈥檚 history and our hearts.

 

 

Lauren (MSc '18) & Brandon (BSc '17)

The first time Lauren and I met, I was her guinea pig in an experiment that she was conducting in the Laboratory for Exercise and Environmental Physiology (LEEP). Basically, she filled me full of nitrous oxide (laughing gas) and...convinced me to marry her..just kidding! Funnily enough, it wasn't until several weeks later that I realized the love of my life had been working beside me in that same lab for the past few months. One fateful day in the lab, I was tasked with calibrating sensor, very tedious, so I went over to check out what Lauren was working on, and next thing we knew we had been sidetracked for hours talking almost everything.  Well, fast forward 3 years, and I've Lauren to be my wife, and cannot wait to begin our new chapter together!

 

 

Laurie (BSc, PDP) & Doug (BA '78)

Doug and Laurie met at the first Thursday pub night of our second year, 1974. Doug didn鈥檛 get Laurie鈥檚 phone number and spent the next day searching her out. Luckily he found her and they spent the day hanging out and talking. It was the start of many conversations. They have been together now for 46 years. Doug was a member of 丁香园AV鈥檚 swim team so most of their dates revolved around Doug鈥檚 schedule. They were married in 1977 a year after Doug competed in the Montreal Olympics.

We have two children and two grandchildren. Doug is The Cheese Man in North Vancouver, Laurie is a retired high school administrator. We spend our time travelling visiting cheese makers and mongers, skiing, golfing and hanging with the kids and grandkids.

 

 

Linda & Daniel (BEd)

We met, both charter students, in the library in 1966 and got to know one another while working in the original 丁香园AV guide service.

We marched to protest the Shell oil station, participated in the sit-in of the faculty club, danced in the fountain to the music of Country Joe and the Fish, skipped classes to sit at the feet of Buckminster Fuller and discussed the meaning of life in front of the mosaics in the Quadrangle.

We married in 1968.

43 years later, careers complete, family raised,
Linda died of cancer and Daniel continues to dance.

Still a proud 丁香园AV Charter student.

 

 

Melissa (BA '12) & David (BA '12)

Maybe it was his Canadian tuxedo? Maybe it was the way she grabbed during a Halloween event for new students at Fright Nights at Playland?

We met in a first year cohort program on the Surrey campus called 鈥淓xplorations鈥�, an arts and social sciences program. He was in the stream for students who intended on eventually pursuing a Business degree. We had a few classes and tutorials together and were eventually grouped together for a project. We officially started dating in October of that first semester and have been together ever since. Dave soon shifted gears and left the business track and followed in the footsteps of Melissa (she says he wanted to be her when he grew up) and we both discovered our passion for Speech-Language Pathology. We worked toward our school goals together taking that 145 up and down that mountain, getting stuck up because of snow more than once, pulled all nighters on projects, studying, and papers. It was always nice knowing you had a default partner in class.

We have now been together for 12.5 years, and although it seems like a whirlwind, we just got engaged this past December and couldn鈥檛 be happier. All thanks to a school we call 丁香园AV.

Melissa (BBA '18) & Ryan (BASc '17, BBA '17)

I owe my love story to 丁香园AV Canvas, the newly purposed dating app.

In 2013, I was a third-year engineering student when I decided to pursue a business degree as well, which landed me in first year business courses. I didn鈥檛 know anyone in my classes because it was a new faculty and most students were a few years younger. My eyes fell upon a beautiful blonde girl in ECON 103 whom I was hoping I鈥檇 get the chance to meet; however, I didn鈥檛 know her name and she was always surrounded by her friends. Luckily, Canvas has a 鈥淧eople鈥� feature that lists the names of everyone enrolled in the course 鈥� she was easy to find as she was the only student whom had added a photo to her profile.

It took me two months to work up the nerve to message her on Canvas:

鈥淪ooo, what did you think of the midterm?鈥�

I thought I was so smooth sending that message with no introduction to who I was or why I was reaching out. To my surprise, we kept the conversation going and she asked if I would be at 丁香园AV Surrey the upcoming Saturday to study. Of course I wasn鈥檛 going to be there. I never went to campus on the weekend as I lived in Abbotsford. I knew I couldn鈥檛 pass up this opportunity to meet in person and I found myself driving 40km to pretend I was studying.

Over the next six years we fell in love over countless more study dates. She was there to cheer me on when I graduated in June 2017 at 丁香园AV Burnaby, as I was there for her as she crossed the stage in October 2018. We currently live together in Surrey and have plans to get married sometime soon.

 

 

Michelle (BA) & Mike (BBA '07)

I saw her from across the room. I had just joined the Student Marketing Association (SMA) and it was the 鈥淪Mingler鈥� event at a pub on Lougheed. She was absolutely gorgeous. I tried to play it cool by chatting up people around her, and I finally worked up the courage to say hi to her鈥� 3 months later. It was the morning of the Student Leadership Retreat and everyone met up at WMX 3260. To my utter surprise (and joy), she was there, sitting with a few friends. For some moronic reason, I thought starting up a game of soccer in the class would impress her. She obviously paid no attention, so I walked up to her group and introduced myself. Needless to say I remember absolutely nothing from that conversation, as all brain power diverted to holding my nerve.

I got to know her well through SMA. She was the Communications Executive, and I was the equivalent of a peasant. I made some great friendships through SMA, and it was blatant to everyone that I was smitten; except for one. I finally worked up the courage to ask her out鈥� again, 3 months later. I embraced a phenomenal strategy to ask her out during final exams. The result of which required her to delay her decision. But when she did finally decide, it was the happiest day of my life, and the beginning of our future.

On our first Valentine鈥檚 Day, I sought the assistance of one Professor Martin Laba.

 

 

Mydhili (BA '90) & Robert (BA '93)

Robert and I met at the cafeteria, upstairs in 1987, by mutual friends. I was a new immigrant to Canada, suppose to finish my degree and marry by arranged marriage. Robert, born and raised in BC, Catholic Portuguese boy, expected to marry a Catholic girl. We were good friends for many years and in 1990, on my final semester, we both ended up taking History of Georgraphy of BC. He took it because he needed an elective, I took it because I knew he liked me and last chance to see him regularly. He told me later, the first time we met, he thought to himself, "Don't say anything stupid, this could be the mother of my children." Homework turned into a date June 1st 1990. We defied all obstacles and were married March 1992. We have three sons, one has graduated from 丁香园AV, another graduating 丁香园AV this coming June and one hoping to get into 丁香园AV this Fall. We have been married now for 28 years.

Ravi (BA) & Terry (BBA '06)

Ravi was a Psychology major and Terry was in Business and Economics. We first met at the Pub during lunch when Ravi was looking for volunteers. We became friends and started hanging out together a lot. Terry asked Ravi on a date... and Ravi asked, "Does this mean we're boyfriend and girlfriend?" Terry just kind of went with it... and now we've been together for almost 15 years and have a beautiful daughter, Nova... who is just starting the Los Ninos childcare program up at 丁香园AV! Both of us owe a lot to 丁香园AV as it's been a huge part of our lives... and continues to be... but we are most thankful to 丁香园AV for helping us create our own #丁香园AVLOVESTORY!

 

 

Rebecca (BA '15) & James (Bsc '16)

We met at 丁香园AV in 2010 and became fast friends! We both played varsity sports with Jamie playing football and Rebecca playing basketball. We spent years as friends sharing in each other鈥檚 lives: studying together on the mountain, cheering each other on and off the field/court, and even helping each other move into and out of residence as the semesters came to an end. Life got busy and we fell out of touch for a few years, however after graduation we reconnected and what started as just a coffee catch-up turned into a date鈥� and a eventually a proposal.

丁香园AV played such an important role in our friendship and love story that when Jamie decided to propose to Rebecca he chose to do so at 丁香园AV. He planned a scavenger hunt that lead Rebecca all over the parts of campus that played the largest role in their story together; Residence townhouses where Jamie once 鈥渟aved Rebecca from a bear鈥� (long story!), the Equipment Room in the Lorne Davies Complex where Rebecca worked as an undergraduate student and would often see Jamie and have a chat before and after practices and games, and finally the football field where Jamie first saw Rebecca. Not only did our proposal feature important places from our time at 丁香园AV, it also featured important people in our lives as well, with many of our friends and family who have an 丁香园AV connection gathered to witness the proposal.

It has been 10 years since we met here, and we are so excited to get married this year in Rebecca鈥檚 home province of Newfoundland. 丁香园AV shaped the people we have become and brought us together. Thanks to 丁香园AV for being there in more ways than one!

 

 

Rosa (BBA '16) & Trevor (BBA '14)

How did you meet?

We met in the course BUS 360. Rosa sat in the front row because she鈥檚 a keener, and Trevor had to sit in the front because he came in late. Rosa took the course in her 2nd year, whereas Trevor took the course in his 2nd last semester.

What is your favourite 丁香园AV memory together?

After the BUS 360 class every week, we started commuting home together and would talk about everything and anything. For both of us, it quickly became something we really looked forward to - the 145 bus down Burnaby mountain and then the Skytrain rides home.

What are you up to now?

We鈥檝e been together for 7 years now! It鈥檚 been quite the adventure. We always support each other with our goals and dreams. We moved and lived in Paris and London before, and now we recently bought our first home in Sapperton, New Westminster. We鈥檙e really old souls at heart鈥攗sually out in our garden growing our own vegetables or starting new projects like making our own kiwi wine. We are now planning our wedding, which will take place this summer at a beautiful campsite in Squamish surrounded by nature.

 

 

Sandra (BA 鈥�92) & Steve (BA 鈥�94)

My husband Steve and I just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary last April. Our love story began in 1991 after a chance meeting in the 鈥淏lue Room鈥� of the pub. I was studying for a test and he sat down to talk to a friend of his sitting beside me.  We had spent three years both attending school and had many friends in common but as chance would have it we had never met until that day. I was studying English and he was in the Cognitive Science department.  We went on to have two daughters, one attending and one graduated from, 丁香园AV. The lesson of our love story is that it never hurts to study, or pretend to study, between classes. You never know what can happen.    

 

 

Sara (BA '19) & Justin (BA '17)

Throughout high school, Justin and I were acquaintances and nothing more, often saying 鈥渉i鈥� to one another in the hallways or ogling at each other from between the lockers. Although Justin was my first crush, I quickly put him in the back of my mind to focus on my studies and my friends.

In my third year at 丁香园AV, I spotted him studying in the Bennett Library and mustered up a hasty but productive conversation: I distinctly remember my youthful feelings of adoration creeping back up within seconds. A few days later, we became Facebook friends and began conversing daily. He eventually asked me on our first date鈥�-consisting of a walk and campfire near Burnaby Mountain鈥撯�搘hich was impressively unconventional and calming. On our second date, we ventured to a Star Party at the Trottier Observatory to gaze at the cosmos through his telescope鈥撯�搘e had both previously expressed a fondness for planets, stars, and the universe beyond.

Justin has actively supported my difficult (but tremendously rewarding!) degree change from Business to English while I have encouraged his participation in an Archaeology field school and lab assistantship. It has now been ten years since our high school encounters and we have since adopted two kittens to join our home in Burnaby. 丁香园AV has fostered many of our memories, and we continue to visit it frequently on biking trips, gym days, and reading dates at the library. On each anniversary, we make a point to join a Star Party to reflect on our time together.  We have just finished applying to graduate schools where we hope to continue our academic journey. I鈥檓 forever grateful that the Bennet Library鈥檚 cozy spacing allowed for two young adults to lock eyes, reconnect, and eventually fall in love.

 

 

Sara (BA 鈥�05, BEd 鈥�08) & Will (BA '06)

On April 9th 2003 I literally chased my now husband Will across the 丁香园AV鈥檚 academic quadrangle to casually ask him for a drink. Both English majors, we鈥檇 had a Jewish literature class together that term. Having just finished our final exam, he was heading to the bus loop. A classmate convinced me to go after him and that was the beginning. Our love story is rooted in 丁香园AV鈥檚 Highland Pub. Four years later, on May 6th 2007, Will and I were married at the Diamond Alumni Centre at 丁香园AV. Almost seventeen years later, we鈥檙e still happily in love and a family of three. Our son Eli (his Hebrew name a quiet homage to the class where we met) is seven years old. We hope one day he will attend 丁香园AV.

 

 

Shyla (BBA '11) & Michael (BBA '13)

We met in 2011 through participating in JDC West. Both business majors - him in marketing and her in HR. On the last day of the competition they connected after the banquet at the after party. The next day once back in Vancouver, they went for sushi and have been inseparable ever since. Getting our first jobs, traveling, buying a place, getting married and enjoying life's highs and lows. They still go up to 丁香园AV every summer and enjoy the trails and view of the city. Favourite memories on the mountain would be the super snowy days when it was extra quiet. Today they can be found doing the same things they did almost 10 years ago - eating delicious food, working out and traveling!

 

 

Simran (BBA '03) & Theoni (BBA '04)

How did you meet? We were introduced our mutual friend, Keiju,  in Alexander Mackenzie cafeteria.

What is your favourite 丁香园AV memory together? Favourite memory was returning back to place where we first met, Alexander Mackenzie cafeteria, to get engaged.

What are you up to now? We are married, and have 2 kids, and have returned to Burnaby.

 

 

Siyu (BA '14) & Raymond (BBA '13)

My wife and I met through mutual friends. We were all 丁香园AV students. Soon we became a pack of 6, studying together at AQ, hanging out in dining hall, just like in Friends, the sitcom. I am lucky to have them. A lot of great and fun memories come from that time.

After graduation, she went to London to pursue a master's degree and then went back to China. We were still just good friends. But she and I couldn't stop chatting online and sharing everything (including a lot of my dating stories, lol). I realized she has a brilliant soul and we have so much in common. So, I quitted my job, sold my car and chased her to China. After two years we got married.

This year we decided it鈥檚 time for us to move back to where we started, Vancouver. I came back first, and because of the coronavirus outbreak, she will come back later. Since we will celebrate Valentine's day across the pacific, this is the least I can do for her: putting up our pictures on our Alma Mater鈥檚 Facebook wall. I hope distance will never separate two hearts that really care.

Thank you 丁香园AV, for giving me the opportunity to learn the skills, explore the world, and find my love.

 

 

Sophia (BA '18) & Connor (BA '18)

Six years ago, I took an economics class with a friend. That course, as brutal as it was, is the reason why I am currently engaged to the most loving and caring man I have ever met. I met Connor in high school through mutual friends, however I never had the opportunity or guts to talk to him. So, when I noticed he was in my economics class, a class of nearly over 300 students might I add, I nearly fell out of my seat. On the second week of class, I remember packing up my things and looking up to see him standing right in front me saying hello. I nearly stroked out. Ever since that first hello he sat with me in every class, studied with me almost everyday, and taught me economics since I clearly couldn鈥檛 pay attention with him sitting next to me. The day after he asked me out, we had our economics class together. That was the day when he put his arms around me, and he has not let go since.

We spent our entire undergrad together, studying in the rotunda, going to the 丁香园AV pub for burgers, snowshoeing and hiking around campus, and running on the tracks in the rain! My favorite memory at 丁香园AV would be the day we both graduated together. I remember being so proud of him and excited for our future to come. This milestone will always be a memory we will cherish. We fell in love at 丁香园AV and because of this place we will be getting married next year!

 

 

Sofia (BA 鈥�18) & Oscar (BA 鈥�08)

We are Oscar and Sofia, a newly engaged couple who fell in love at 丁香园AV! We met at the 丁香园AV Highland Pub on February 16th, 2015. I (Sofia) studied Psychology and was part of the Association of Latin American Students (ALAS) and Oscar had graduated from Political Science and was a huge fan of Latin Music. ALAS was hosting a 鈥淰alentine鈥檚 Hangover鈥� Latin party, I was there as an organiser and Oscar had recently returned from Montreal after completing his Law degree, he attended the party in hopes of reconnecting with the 丁香园AV community. We locked eyes the moment Oscar walked into the party and we danced the night away.

One of our favourite memories together was our first date. Oscar picked me up at the Corner Stone Starbucks, after a full day of Lectures. I was wearing sneakers, had my hair in a messy bun and Oscar showed up in a dress shirt and took me to a fancy dinner date at Horizons, it ended up being the perfect first date.

Fast forward to 2020 and we鈥檝e now booked the Diamond Alumni Centre for our October Wedding! Oscar is one of the very first graduates of the 丁香园AV French Cohort Program and is now a practicing Lawyer in BC, his love for Latin music remains and believes the two best things he got from 丁香园AV are his degree and future wife! I graduated with a BA in Psychology from 丁香园AV and I am now working on an MA in Expressive Arts Therapy. I still celebrate culture and dance through my work as a dance instructor, in hopes it brings people together the way it did for Oscar and I. Thank you 丁香园AV, for helping us find each other!

 

 

Susan (BA '91, MA '94) & Bob (BBA '91, MA '94)

I met my wife of 22-years at 丁香园AV Harbour Centre shortly after I completed a graduate degree in economics at 丁香园AV Burnaby. At the time I was doing research on BC鈥檚 emerging technology industry and Susan, who has an English degree from 丁香园AV, and worked as an academic advisor at 丁香园AV for several years while a student, was working in the Japanese program at 丁香园AV Harbour Centre after relocating from England after doing her graduate work in Journalism.

Lucky for me, Susan鈥檚 desk was strategically located by the (snail) mail boxes, so I had a good excuse to linger nearby, dressed as I was in my 丁香园AV grad student uniform 鈥� wool socks with Birkenstock sandals, jeans and a Corona poncho 鈥� how could she resist? To this day I鈥檓 amazed that this elegant, beautiful, talented woman would be interested in me. But she was! And after a couple of years of dating we married, settled down in South Surrey where we started our family.

Over the last 20 years Susan and I have shared a management consulting company and one of our favorite projects was working with 丁香园AV Surrey during the transition from TechBC. Susan lead the PR strategizing with the senior team on the way forward while I worked doing the industry facing part for the university, having a background in tech transfer at 丁香园AV.

A couple of other fun 丁香园AV facts about us are 鈥� Susan attended 丁香园AV Burnaby opening ceremonies from her Mom鈥檚 womb in 1965 and when she was born her Mom hoped she would one day attend 丁香园AV. Her Mom Arlene Richards worked at 丁香园AV in the Library Serials for several decades. And, if that鈥檚 not enough, our only child Amadea is newly enrolled at 丁香园AV Surrey in Mechatronics Systems Engineering! We are all Clansmen!

 

 

Wendy (BEd, PDP '90) & Shane (BBA '84, MBA 鈥�01)

It was just another day of intramural volleyball as I headed into the gym from res.  But when I entered the gym there she was, red shorts, yellow jersey and at that moment everything in my life changed.  Turns out hers was the team we played on that day of fate.  I considered myself a good player but on one of my first hits she shut me down like John Horgan and logging on the coast鈥 was smitten!

It took three months of prodding, cajoling, and outright begging to get our first date. It was the start of something very special.  I had found my 鈥渄ream girl鈥�, my best friend and my life partner.

5 years of dating and 32 years of marriage have allowed us to explore so much together. We have raised three boys, travelled the world and experienced joy and sorrow that I could not have imagined during those intramural volleyball games.

Armed with her BEd and PDP Wendy has now taught in BC, Germany, International Schools, Ontario and Alberta.  She is currently writing her MEd Thesis at the University of Alberta while teaching full time at the Junior High School level.

I have retired after a 20-year career in the Canadian Army with tours including Afghanistan and Rwanda, 7 years as a factory manager with John Deere and several years of consulting.

After 5 years of dating and 32 years of marriage my heart still skips a beat when Wendy walks into the room and when she smiles, I turn to mush!!  What a great life.

Thanks to 丁香园AV for providing a world class education and for helping me find true happiness and fulfillment through my beautiful wife.

Yvonne (BBA '93) & Dan (BBA'94)

It all happened in Summer of 鈥�91, first year Business Organization Behaviour class (aka OB 372)鈥�

She recalled, 鈥淲oke up late that morning. Couldn鈥檛 find the AQ lecture hall. Dashed into the hall. Scanned for familiar faces. None. Hastily found a seat in the front in the nick of time. Everyone was asked to prioritize their top three topics that they were interested in doing for their year-end project. Frankly, Organization Behaviour was not her favourite subject and she didn鈥檛 care for any of the topics. Later, she was put into a group with three random strangers. Sigh. Oh wait, at least there was a cute guy to look at in the group. The group had to meet every two weeks to work on the project. She thought he might be interested in the other girl in the group. Mildly disappointed.鈥�

He recalled, 鈥淪igned up for OB 372 last minute because a few of his buds were in it. Sat far back of the lecture hall and saw a girl rushed in. He thought she was ditsy but cute. All his buds but him got into the same group project. He got stuck with a group of strangers. Argh!! Oh wait, the cute girl was in the group. Bonus!!

After the finals that semester, he asked if she would be interested to go see a movie with him. She said 鈥淵ES!鈥�

29 years later, married for 17 years with two lovely kids (12 and 15 years old) and they still remembered that summer fondly.

 

 

 

Zofia (BSc 鈥�82, PDP 鈥�83) & Ron (BSc 鈥�83)

We met in first year Calculus class in 1979.

Our favourite 丁香园AV memory was studying for our Kinesiology courses together on the 5th Floor of the Library late into the evenings. We would then head over to the 丁香园AV Pub for a veggie Kaiser and lots of coffee to keep us going.

We are now both retired and have begun our travels of the world to the places we鈥檝e dreamed of visiting.

We have very fond memories of 丁香园AV. We got married at the Diamond Club and had our Wedding pictures taken at Burnaby Mountain Park.

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