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On this Valentine's Day 2020, we celebrate the more than 2,000 alumni couples. Here are a few stories from YJ4Ls who found love in the air at BW.
Love
was
buzzing
through
campus
when
Ashley
(Schuster)
Dolnosich
'15
and
Josh
Dolnosich
'14
met
at
BW
and
began
dating
in
November
2012.
They
were
both
in
Greek
life,
spent
much
of
their
time
working
athletic
events
together,
loved
to
stop
at
Buzzy's
to
grab
their
favorite
sandwiches
and
hung
out
in
E
House
watching
movies.
They were married in June 2019 and are expecting a baby in July 2020. When asked what BW meant to them, Ashley said, "BW will always be the place we credit for allowing us to meet, as Josh was originally from Pennsylvania and I am from Ohio. We are appreciative of the education department at BW as we are both educators. I am a second-grade teacher. Josh is a health and physical education teacher."
Ashley and Josh stay connected to the University through BW friends and Greek life. "BW gave us a beginning to our forever together, careers, lifelong friendships and many great stories to share."
Greek
life
was
more
than
just
a
campus
connection
when
it
brought
Meg
(Duncan)
Hodge
'68
and
John
Hodge
'66
together.
They
started
to
date
after
John
graduated
and
Meg
was
a
senior.
They
married
in
December
1969
and
settled
in
Raleigh,
North
Carolina,
to
raise
their
family
of
three
children.
They
had
good
BW
friends
who
stayed
in
the
Berea
area,
so
they
received
updates
about
Berea,
BW
and
friends.
Visits
to
see
them
always
included
a
walk
or
ride
through
campus.
John
and
Meg
are
active
in
BW
alumni
gatherings
in
the
Raleigh
area
and
even
hosted
an
event.
They
have
also
been
annual
financial
contributors
to
BW.
They
stated
that
since
BW
gave
them
educations
and
degrees,
they
want
to
help
the
University
continue
to
do
that
for
other
students.
"I
met
a
lovely
girl
who
is
just
right
for
you."
Those
are
the
words
that
brought
this
perfect
match
together.
Phyllis
(Jeffery)
Holmes
'59
and
Reg
Holmes
'58
met
soon
after
those
words
were
spoken
at
the
BW
coffee
shop,
and
the
prediction
proved
correct.
Ten
days
later,
Reg
said,
"I
am
going
to
marry
you."
And
three
years
later,
their
61-year
marriage
began.
Since
BW
brought
them
together,
the
University
has
fostered
their
continuing
loyalty.
Even
after
moving
to
Colorado,
they
have
remained
connected
to
their
alma
mater
by
giving
to
the
Annual
Fund
and
by
attending
many
reunions
over
the
years.
The
couple
says,
"Not
only
did
we
receive
excellent
training
for
our
teaching
careers,
but
we
also
gained
precious
lifelong
friendships
from
our
years
at
BW."
Rhonda
(Nagel)
Hoon
'71
and
Larry
Hoon
'70
met
through
a
blind
date
in
1969
arranged
by
some
of
Larry's
fraternity
brothers.
They
routinely
send
a
Christmas
card
to
their
"matchmaker,"
thanking
him
for
getting
them
together.
They
both
agree,
"Finding
the
right
partner
in
life
makes
all
the
difference!"
When asked what BW means to them, Larry said, "Coach Lee Tressel always said that when our playing days were over, all we would have left are the memories. The late '60s were an incredible time in so many ways. Coming back to campus and seeing old friends always reminds me of how fortunate I am to have gone to BW. It was there that I learned what I was meant to do in life - probably the most important thing one can learn in college! At BW, a confluence of sports, coaches, faculty, friends and events of the day put me on a path for the next 38 years that I have never regretted - teaching and coaching. Couple this with finding the right life partner makes BW a magical place for us."
Larry's grandmother stepped up and made sure that he would have the funds to go to college when his parents could not afford it. Rhonda's parents were farmers and sacrificed greatly to make sure she would have a college education. They have been blessed and want to make sure others will have that opportunity. As BW continues to re-invent itself and meet the needs of society in a changing world, they are confident that any contribution they make will serve others.
Kathy
(Van
Auken)
Kvet
'71
and
Ed
Kvet
'71
met
in
the
BW
marching
band
during
the
fall
of
their
freshman
year
in
1967.
As
trumpet
players,
they
were
both
assigned
to
a
trumpet
squad
of
four
members
-
two
freshmen
and
two
seniors.
Kathy
recalls
that
since
the
other
members
were
uninterested
in
new
freshmen,
her
only
friend
had
to
be
Ed.
They
dated
throughout
college
and
married
in
August
1973.
BW had a transformational impact on both their personal and professional lives. Kathy's professional career spanned 41 years as a music teacher for grades pre-K-12 in public and private schools as well as part-time university teaching. Ed's career was primarily in higher education, where he taught music and served in various administrative roles.
The couple sees personal philanthropy as a way to support BW and thank the professors who were mentors throughout their lives. Kathy and Ed have supported the Annual Fund as well as naming the BW Conservatory of Music in their estate plans. They encourage others to support BW so it can have a transformational impact on others too.
Trivia
was
a
perfect
way
to
start
some
small
talk
for
Kaitlyn
(Szorady)
Robinson
'17
and
Scott
Robinson
'15.
They
first
met
while
Kait
was
working
at
BW's
Packard
Athletic
Center.
Scott
came
through
Packard
with
his
best
friend,
who
happened
to
be
the
brother
of
Kait's
friend.
He
asked
his
best
friend
to
introduce
him
to
his
sister's
cute
friend.
After
their
first
conversation
at
a
trivia
night,
they
hit
it
off
and
have
been
together
ever
since.
When asked what BW means to them, they said, "BW means family and home to us. We both can't express enough how much BW has impacted our lives for the better. BW shaped us into the man and woman we are today. BW will always be our home and a place with amazing memories. We remain connected through sports, especially the football and basketball teams. We also stay in contact with the many friends we made during our four years at BW. We live five hours away and still take the time to stop in at the school for Community Day, lunches with friends and visits to the area."
Melissa
(Sayers-Smart)
Wodtly
'98
and
Scott
Wodtly
'00
didn't
have
the
typical
"meet
in
college,
date,
fall
in
love,
get
married,
have
children
and
live
happily
ever
after"
story.
Although
their
story
began
the
very
first
day
of
Yellow
Jacket
women's
soccer
practice
for
Melissa
and
the
first
day
of
Yellow
Jacket
football
practice
for
Scott,
it
was
more
than
a
decade
before
they
had
their
first
kiss.
A flirtatious friendship and sporadic BW outings with fellow Yellow Jackets throughout their time at Baldwin Wallace were the beginning for this couple. However, after graduation, they went their separate ways. Scott taught in Cleveland, married and started a family. Melissa married, started a family and moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Years later, their paths crossed again at a BW alumni New Year's Eve event in Berea. They started providing support, comfort and guidance for each other and began a long-distance relationship prior to Melissa moving back to the U.S.
While Scott and Melissa did not start their dating journey at BW, their 26-year friendship, their love for each other, and their appreciation for attending and still being involved with BW are what makes their marriage unique. A very memorable wave, smile and "hello" on Bagley Road across from Finnie Stadium in 1994 was the spark that continued to smolder and grew to a steady flame to unite this successful blended family.
