Pirates come to ECU for quality higher education, but some end up with a two-for-one deal. Discover how they met their partner for life and read these love stories in their own words below.
Happy Valentine's Day to #ARRRGH Pirate lovebirds.
Tray '15 and Kimberly '16 Stepney
We met on the campus mall during fall semester 2012. Tray lived in Cotten Hall, and I lived in Garrett Hall. I was taking some photos with my roommate at the cupola and thought I saw a friend across the mall. It actually turned out to be Tray, and he came over to say "hi" even though I wasn't calling out his name but someone else's.
A few months later, we met again through mutual friends and got a few meals with groups of friends at West End Dining Hall. Our first date was to see the movie "Django" in Hendrix Theatre in spring semester 2013. We both went home for the 2013 summer, and when we came back to school in the fall of 2013, we met back up again, started dating and the rest is history!
We both were drawn to ECU and some of its excellent programs — Tray was a teaching fellow and I was a member of the Honors College — and we are so thankful! If not for these opportunities, we may have never met! It has felt so meant to be. We were so blessed to grow up together and fall in love on the beautiful campus of ECU, receiving excellent educations."
Tray and Kimberly were married in 2018 and live in Farmville. Tray is the music director at Opendoor Church in Winterville, and Kimberly is a registered nurse at Vidant Medical Center in Greenville. Kimberly is back at ECU as a student again, in the College of Nursing's adult gerontology primary care nurse practitioner program.
Scott and Leslie Lorbacher '10
My wife and I met in freshman English in 2006. Without ECU, we never would have met, and thanks to ENG 1100, Leslie realized I was quite the poet. I even wrote her a poem on our wedding day #Englishmajor. We hung out as friends often. Leslie watched me play intramurals, and I cheered Leslie on at ECU equestrian competitions. We started dating over Thanksgiving break in 2009.
Leslie and I are passionate Pirate fans. We've been season ticket holders for football for the last 10 years. We watch every basketball and baseball game on TV when we can't make it in person. We're both known for wearing purple on Fridays in the workplace. Our first ever trip together was to the 2010 Liberty Bowl vs. Arkansas. When an Arkansas fan asked my wife, "Is ECU in North Carolina or South Carolina?" and she responded with "Arkansas is Alabama, right?" I knew she was the one for me.
I'm forever grateful for ECU for putting us in a position to find each other, to find love, to build a life and create our little Pirate. I wouldn't be who I am today without her or without East Carolina."
Scott and Leslie were married in 2015, with the groomsmen wearing purple ties and bridesmaids wearing purple dresses. They entered their reception to "Purple Haze" and did a tunnel-style dance. The Lorbachers reside in Apex. Scott is a QA tester for the State Employees' Credit Union, and Leslie is a nurse practitioner for UNC Urology. Their 2-year-old daughter, Aubrey, is an avid ECU fan and has participated in every #PaintItPurple Friday since her birth.
Aracelis and Marquis Mason-Pollard
In July 2016, I moved to Greenville to start a position in Campus Living as a residence hall coordinator. In June 2017, Marquis and I met at a local brewery and became inseparable. Marquis and his daughter moved into my on-campus apartment in White Hall in July 2019. We got engaged the next month. We were married in Greenville in November.
One of our favorite places is the campus mall. We walk our dog around the mall, and our daughter rides her bike/scooter around the mall and always needs a picture with PeeDee. We even took our engagement photos there.
ECU means so much to our relationship because many milestones and family memories have taken place in our apartment in White Hall. We celebrated our first Christmas as a family in White Hall. We began our life as husband and wife in White Hall. Our daughter got to make her first snowman outside of White Hall. Almost any family memory that brings me so much joy has taken place somewhere on campus."
Aracelis and Marquis were married in November 2020 and continue to live with their 4-year-old daughter, Kinsley, in their White Hall apartment, with Aracelis working for ECU Campus Living.
Andrew '15 '16 and Mackenzie '16 '19 Wasilick
The back deck of the Alpha Xi Delta sorority house at ECU is where Andrew and I first met during our first few weeks as freshmen in the fall of 2011. As fate would have it, my sorority and his fraternity were partnered together for homecoming. A few weeks later, in line for a social event, without provocation, I not so subtly let Andrew know I wasn't interested. Throughout that year, we shared a good laugh about that moment and ended up becoming close friends. After a long period of courtship, Andrew asked me to be his girlfriend in 2013 (cute!) and the two of us have been inseparable since.
I grew up in Greenville and have been a Pirate fan for longer than I can remember. Not to be outdone, Andrew makes up for the setback of being born in Raleigh by knowing practically all there is about ECU sports. Every time we go back to North Carolina, we try to schedule time in Greenville to visit our favorite places and reminisce on some of our favorite years. Some of our very best friends were made while at ECU, and our education has helped us both excel professionally.
ECU is so special to both of us and continues to make a lasting impression in our lives. No matter where we have lived or traveled, we have always found fellow Pirate fans who shout 'PURPLE' — and we always provide an enthusiastic 'GOLD.'"
After seven years together, Andrew and Mackenzie were married in Raleigh. After Andrew's graduation from UNC Law in 2019, he was offered a clerkship with the United States Tax Court in Washington, D.C. At the completion of that opportunity, the couple moved to New York City for Andrew to take a position with a local firm as a tax attorney. Mackenzie has worked remotely with Alpha Xi Delta Fraternity Headquarters since 2015, with her work supporting chapters across the country in their strategic recruitment efforts. Their Goldendoodle, Banks, is a true Pirate fan and wears his jersey every game day.
Philip and Rebekah Rogers
As many people know, I grew up in Greenville and was a proud "PK" (preacher's kid). Naturally, Rebekah and I were introduced at church by a family member.
This university shaped many generations of family members before us and provided a firm foundation on which we have established our own relationship and affinity for the institution. ECU is the common thread that binds us together as a couple. Many people do not know this fun fact, but I pursued my first role as policy analyst at ECU in order to be closer to Rebekah. I was living and working in the Triangle area at the time, and she was on staff in the ECU Admissions office.
This university was the vehicle that brought me geographically closer to my 'soon-to-be' wife and ultimately launched my career in higher education. We are thrilled to return home to the special place that was the catalyst for our lives together."
Philip and Rebekah were engaged in 2008 and married in 2009. On the night of Philip's proposal, he organized a surprise celebration with all of their closest Pirates in the area. The following day, they celebrated by watching the Pirates knock off the No. 8 West Virginia Mountaineers in football.
Philip will become ECU's 12th chancellor on March 15. Rebekah, who earned her undergraduate and master's degrees from ECU, has taught at the university level for many years. The couple will return to Greenville this spring with their two sons, 5-year-old Grayson and 2-year-old Dean, who drive up their water bill each month thanks to the number of times their Pirate jerseys need to be washed.
Marc '01 and Ashley '95 Holloman
I was an 18-year-old freshman living in Umstead Hall when my dorm RA, David Pittman, who went to undergraduate school at Barton College with Marc, introduced us. Marc was 22 and working on his master's at ECU.
We are now a family of Pirates! In the next year and a half, we will all four (including our daughters, Mackenzie and Macy) have our college degrees from ECU. We are so thankful for the role ECU has played in all of our lives! Mackenzie is a 2019 College of Nursing graduate and is getting married this June to Pirate alum Jordan Koots, former SGA president, and their wedding colors are purple and gold. She currently is a nurse in the COVID unit at Rex Hospital in Raleigh. Macy is currently a junior at ECU studying special education.
ECU is the reason for our relationship! We met there, we dated there, we got married in Greenville while we were both still in college there. We've spent our entire marriage attending ECU sporting events and sharing our love of ECU with our daughters, which led both of them to attend ECU."
Marc and Ashley were married in 1994 in Greenville. Ashley taught first grade until the couple had children, and she has been a stay-at-home mom since. Marc is vice president of Cisco Systems Inc. They live in Wilmington.
Brooks '04 '20 and Rachel '21 Person
We met while working at the ECU School of Dental Medicine in the summer of 2013. That September, we both attended a tailgate of a friend that Rachel knew from high school and that I knew from ECU, and we realized we had quite a few mutual friends. After that, we found ourselves at several of the same events and got to know each other a little better. In the spring of 2014, we went on our first date.
I still work at the SoDM, and Rachel is completing her graduate degree in the counselor education program while serving as a graduate assistant for the College of Engineering and Technology Student Success Center with hopes to secure a full-time position at ECU again after graduation. We are season ticket holders for both ECU football and basketball and enjoy spending time with friends and family tailgating and attending games in pre-COVID times.
I proposed with the help of our Dachshund daughter, Gretchen Wieners, who had the ring tied to her ECU collar. Our wedding colors were purple and teal, which was a nod to our alma maters, ECU and UNCW. Our cake topper and pint glass favors featured PeeDee the Pirate as part of the 'wedding logo' I created. The after-party was held at a tavern owned by an ECU alum."
Brooks and Rachel were married in 2017. Brooks is a system support manager at the School of Dental Medicine, and Rachel is a graduate student. They have a little girl on the way and say she most definitely will be raised a Pirate fan.
Carlos '08 and Diana '07 Gonzalez
We met in 2005. I was in my junior year, and he was in his sophomore year studying criminal justice. We met at a Student Association of Latino Spanish Affairs (SALSA) meeting. It was the first meeting of the year.
Some of our greatest memories are at ECU. Our favorite spot was Mendenhall. We spent a lot of time there hanging out and getting to know each other. We got engaged years later when I was in grad school. We practically grew up together at ECU. He deployed after graduation — he was in ROTC — when I was in grad school, so even his homecoming is a reminder of our time at ECU.
Carlos and Diana were married in 2013. After living in Atlanta for a while, Carlos and Diana moved back to North Carolina and now reside in Mooresville. Diana is a medical social worker, and Carlos is an anti-money laundering investigator.
Brian '96 and Crystal '95 Clayton
We met the second week of our college career in September 1991. We were in psych class together and, as we left, I heard someone hollering at me and asked if I lived on the hill. We started talking and when we got back to Jones Hall, I ran to my room and told my roommate I had just met the man I was going to marry! And here we are ... married 23 years this year!
ECU is where our lifetime started! We try to go back at least once a year. We raised our kids in a purple and gold mind and now our firstborn is a Pirate herself."
Brian and Crystal were married in 1997 and currently live in Alamance County, where Brian is a financial advisor and Crystal is an instructional assistant at an elementary school. Their daughter, Abbey, is currently a Pirate, and their younger daughter, Sawyer, wants to be a Pirate.
David and Christine Kidd '01
We met in a computer applications class. He sat in front of me, and we would have polite conversation but nothing happened that semester. A year later, we found ourselves in several upper-level classes together. We were sent to the same school for student teaching. The long, daily drives to and from Snow Hill Middle School ignited a spark. The rest is history. We have been together ever since, married 18 years this past November.
After all these years, we still bleed purple and gold. We have the stickers on our cars and wear the gear even in the less than exceptional years. We absolutely loved our time at East Carolina University.
ECU is where it all began. We would not have found one another if not for ECU. We try to get out there a time or two each year to relive our 'glory days' and comment on the many impressive changes."
Christine and David were married in 2002. They live in Winston-Salem, where they use their undergraduate degrees as middle school teachers.
Matthew '07 '12 and Katie '12 '14 Butler
Matt and I met at ECU in 2010 when he was in his master's program and I was starting my junior year of college. He and I were both working for Campus Living as a graduate assistant and resident advisor for different buildings, and we were required to attend summer training for those positions prior to students arriving on campus. We were introduced by an old supervisor of mine that was his supervisor at the time, and we stayed in touch as friends until November 2010, when we went on our first date!
Together, we attended almost every football, basketball and baseball game when we were students. We even traveled to cheer on our Pirates, attending the 2010 Military Bowl in Washington, D.C., and the 2011 game against USC in Panther Stadium. Even after we've graduated, the sporting complexes at ECU are still a favorite date night spot!
One of the things that Matt and I really bonded over when we first started dating was our mutual love of ECU, and as our relationship grew, that love only grew with it. We found a home in Pirate Nation, and we continue to live in Greenville to this day."
Matt and Katie were married in 2013, and their wedding colors were purple and gold. They reside in Greenville, where Matt is a project manager for RES (Resource Environmental Solutions), and Katie is assistant director of undergraduate programs for the ECU College of Business. They have two children, 3-year-old Laine, who is quick to tell you a Pirate says "ARRRGH!," and 9-month-old Brooks.
Abigail Lowe '21 and Brandon Hall '20
We met when we were in sixth grade and started dating when we were in the 10th grade. ECU and Greenville hold a very special place in our hearts. We were on a normal walk with our dog when we stopped to talk, and the next thing I knew, Brandon was on one knee! I thought it was so special that Brandon decided to propose on campus near the cupola.
Abigail will complete her degree in speech and hearing sciences this spring, then will apply for graduate school. Brandon, who graduated with a degree in business administration and management, works at ECU Transit. Their wedding is planned for July.
Colby '12 and Adrienne '12 '13 Adams
We met as freshmen in 2008 through mutual friends on campus and became close friends through hangouts at West End. We started dating as juniors in 2011. One of our favorite spots on campus is the mall in front of Joyner. The benches are a top-notch people-watching spot and occasionally you could see a squirrel carrying a dining hall french fry, too.
We can't talk about how we met or adventures we went on without talking about East Carolina. There's getting picked up for dates in front of Fletcher Hall, scheduling weekly meetups for Fried Chicken Wednesdays at West End, getting surprised with a coffee while I tutored at Joyner, and so many more good memories.
Colby and Adrienne were married in 2015 and currently reside in Raleigh, where the front door to their home is Pirate purple. Colby is a construction manager, and Adrienne is an art teacher.
Chris and Elizabeth Sullivan '95
We met at Johnston Community College in the spring of 1993 before Chris left for ECU that summer. He was 21; I was 19. I followed him to ECU in the fall of 1993 — I was worried he was going to get away if I didn't follow him!
We started dating right before he left to go to Greenville, and I spent many days on the road to see him. ECU is home to us; it's where we started. We now have two sons who are following in our Pirate footsteps — Austin is a senior studying business administration, and Colby is a sophomore majoring in exercise kinesiology.
Chris and Elizabeth were married in 1996. They live in Kenly. Chris is a magistrate with the state of North Carolina, and Elizabeth is an accounting manager with Capitol Broadcasting in Raleigh.
Adrian and Amy Schaller '96
We met in Spanish 1 night class with Professor Purificación Martinez, I believe in the spring of 1993. We both worked for the university at one point during our time there. Adrian worked as an RA for a few years, and I worked at the community service desk on College Hill my senior year. We would walk to class together and back to the dorms most days. We would meet for breakfast at Wright Place. We attended many tailgates, sporting events and university functions as well.
Adrian proposed in December of 1996 at my best friend's family Christmas party. We were surrounded by family and friends, with many having attended ECU as well. We definitely are lucky to have a huge support system of friends who are fellow Pirates. It ended up that nine out of 10 in our bridal party were ECU graduates! The groom's cake at our wedding was also decorated in honor of our alma mater.
The fact that we both chose to attend East Carolina University feels a bit like fate. Had one of us chosen a different university, our futures would have been completely different. ECU will always be and always has been very special to us. It's where our love story began!"
Adrian and Amy were married in 1998. They live in Wake Forest. Adrian is an estimator/life sciences lead for McDonald York Building Company in Raleigh, and Amy is an office manager/AP coordinator for Centrifuge Media, also in Raleigh. Their son, Adam, is currently a freshman at ECU. Their younger son, Austin, also is a Pirate at heart.
Ricky '17 and Kristen '17 '20 Tharrington
We met on move-in day in Garrett Hall our freshman year of college! We played cards together that evening and, after a semester of friendship, we began dating. The rest is history!
If it wasn't for ECU, we would likely have never met! ECU is the foundation for so many of our best memories, and we can't imagine our relationship without Pirate Nation!"
Kristen and Ricky were married in a 2020 micro-ceremony due to COVID but plan to include ECU in their redo once the pandemic is over. Both were members of the Honors College, with Ricky an EC Scholar. Ricky is now a machine learning developer and Kristen is a physical therapist.
Kevin and Kristen Jones '12
Kevin and I first met in my RA's room in Jones Hall. He was helping her with a paper, and I vividly remember the moment! Kevin was sitting in her folding chair in a black shirt and red basketball shorts (which he still owns) and a black hat. Clearly my mind knew the importance of that day long before I did and etched it in my memory. He felt like home during a time when I was feeling alone in the shift of college independence. That stumbled its way into long talks and walks around campus, unknowingly becoming best friends.
Though Kevin and I were both born in New Jersey and somehow ended up in North Carolina, ECU is where our paths first crossed, and I met the love of my life on that hill.
A message to my love, who has no idea that I'm doing this. I love you and am forever grateful to be a Jones, which coincidentally is the name of the hall we met in. You will always be the apple to my juice."
Kevin and Kristen live in Knightdale, where Kevin is a chef and Kristen is a director. They have a son together, Kayden.
Amir Mekhail '19 and Sara Neilson '19
We met when we were both busy, hard-working graduate students. We didn't have a lot of time for anything in our lives — certainly not love. However, that all changed when our paths crossed. We met in 2016 and bonded over our shared goals for the future, our experiences in life and our experiences at ECU.
ECU is why our relationship happened. On campus, we bonded over football games, special events, campus dates, study nights, graduation and so much more. We spent many, many hours studying at Brody School of Medicine. When we took breaks, our favorite things to do were play Ping-Pong in the student lounge and walk around the duck pond.
Sara and Amir were married in 2017 and live in Orange County, California, with their two sons, 8-year-old Oliver and 2-year-old Lucas. Amir is halfway through his internal medicine residency at UC Irvine, and Sara works part-time as a hospitality instructor.
James and Hannah Merritt '20
We met our freshmen year in 2016 on the second day of class. We sat in front of each other in our English 1000 class. I had to leave class early, so I got his phone number so he could let me know what I missed in class that day. He proceeded to type notes for me, like upcoming due dates and assignments, and printed them out and brought them to me at my dorm across campus. We were dating two weeks later.
ECU was the reason we met and is the reason we are together. We went to football games together, to Starbucks for breakfast when we had 8 a.m. classes, to the library when we had an upcoming exam, to the gym to work out together and everything else. We motivated and supported each other throughout our entire time at ECU.
Hannah and James were married in 2020. They live together in Chapel Hill, where James is in graduate school at UNC Chapel Hill for exercise physiology. Hannah is an associate distribution engineer at Leidos in Durham.
Martin '12 '22 and Katie '13 '15 Zeidan
We met in 2010 in Joyner Library during finals season. We stayed in touch as friends, seeing each other downtown and on campus. We officially became a couple in 2011 when we came back to campus for fall semester after missing each other during summer break. We loved ECU so much, we convinced both of our younger siblings to attend as well.
ECU holds a special place for us. It's where we met, fell in love, grew up, met our best friends, challenged ourselves and had the most fun. We consider being a Pirate a privilege, and we are proud Pirates!"
Martin and Katie were married in 2018, with "All I Do is Win" and the ECU Fight Song played at their wedding reception. They currently reside in Raleigh, where Katie works as a substance abuse therapist and Martin works in accounting. He is working on obtaining his MBA.
Kelvin and Tracey Spragley '93
We met in Joyner Library in December of 1992. We were both studying for final exams. I went downstairs to use the restroom for one of my study breaks. She was sitting at a table studying, and I thought she looked sad. I said, "Everything will be OK." We ended up talking for hours and found out that, during my time in the Army, I had actually met her aunt and uncle four years before while I was stationed at Fort Hood, Texas.
ECU is the foundational location of our relationship. Not only did we meet there and learned how to become excellent educators there, we also encouraged our daughter to attend for undergraduate and graduate studies.
Kelvin and Tracey have been married for 26 years and now live in Wake Forest. Kelvin is the director of teacher education at North Carolina Wesleyan College, and Tracey is a first-grade reading teacher in Wake County. Their daughter graduated with her undergraduate and graduate degrees in biology from ECU, and their son plans to transfer to ECU from Wake Technical Community College to major in engineering.
Jason '98 '09 and Helen Sabrina '99 Colquitt
We met in 1997. My sorority advisor and his baseball assistant coach were friends and introduced us. Jason was a starting catcher from 1996 to 1998, and we spent a lot of time in and around baseball. Even as alumni, we enjoy seeing the Pirates play any time we can.
Without ECU, we never would have met and wouldn't have our children. We love ECU and love being Pirates."
Jason and Sabrina were married in 2000 and currently live in Charlotte with their two daughters, Meredith and Lindsay. Jason is a lieutenant with the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department, and Sabrina is a senior meeting and event planner for TIAA.
Brittany Bullock '16 and Brather Cline '16
We met in 2014 in a mechanics lab. We became lab partners, then each other's best friend/study buddy.
Without ECU engineering, I never would have met my husband. We didn't run with the same crew (he was a track star, get it?) and didn't have the same friend groups. So, without our classes, we wouldn't know the other existed.
Brittany and Brather live in Morehead City and work as engineers with NAVAIR Fleet Readiness Center East.
Josh '13 and Maddy '17 Needham
It was September 2015, and I had just ended an engagement that led me down to ECU. I was still processing my new life as a single woman. I'm a personal trainer and was working part-time at Fitness Connection when Josh's gym shut down and sent their clients to Fitness Connection, where our mutual friend and coworker introduced us. Josh was lifting and had on a T-shirt with a kitty on a wrecking ball (hilarious!), and we talked for a long time and played a game of racquetball. We set up a date to get frozen yogurt.
Josh and Maddy were married in 2020. Josh currently is a CDL trucker, and Maddy is a respiratory therapist for the U.S. Air Force.
Alexis Jarman '18 '19 and Will McKeel '20 '21
We met through some mutual friends but our first date was the ECU vs. NC State football game in 2016. We've been inseparable ever since.
We are getting married on Nov. 13, 2021, and our DJ is the announcer for Pirate football.
Alexis is a math and English teacher in Martin County. Will is currently doing graduate research with the engineering department at ECU.
Karlton and Heather Layman '97
We met through mutual friends. Our relationship has built a strong love for ECU. Our daughter now attends. We bleed purple. We return home for all home football games and occasionally other sports.
Karlton and Heather were married in 1998 and live in the Raleigh area, where Karlton is a project manager for commercial construction and Heather is an intervention teacher.
Credits:
Photos contributed by couples.