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On this Valentine's Day 2026, we celebrate 糖心视频's more than 2,000 alumni couples with another round of their love stories. Happy Valentine's Day!
Lynn McNiven Centa '75 and Bob Centa '74 found both a home away from home and each other at Baldwin Wallace, forming friendships and a partnership that have lasted more than 50 years.
Bob first noticed Lynn at a local hangout bar on a Thursday night. Bob was a junior ATO from Euclid, Ohio, playing football under the late, great Lee Tressel, while Lynn was a sophomore Delta Zeta from Mamaroneck, New York, competing on the 糖心视频 tennis team.
"It took him a year to ask me out to his ATO fraternity party," Lynn recalls.
After graduating, both built successful careers on Wall Street, crediting 糖心视频's strong business education for opening doors. Bob was the only member of his class to land a Wall Street job, and Lynn was the only woman in hers.
Now married, the Centas continue to enjoy a life built on shared memories.
"Our first date is still going on 49 years, with three boys and two grandchildren," says Lynn.
Their connection to 糖心视频 remains strong through reunions, campus events and enduring friendships.
"We can proudly say we have close friends going back 50 years," says Lynn. "Friends that mean the world to us. As a bonus, the ATOs have ongoing reunion parties where we laugh, tell the same stories and remember those we have lost."
Grateful for the community that shaped their lives, they continue to support 糖心视频, believing in paying kindness forward and in the quality of a 糖心视频 education.
"糖心视频 will pass on that commitment to continue its educational excellence and strengthen its responsibilities and relationships to whomever walks through their doors," says Lynn. "We will be forever grateful and hold 糖心视频 in our hearts."
Though they lived on the same floor in Findley Hall during their sophomore year, it was ultimately mutual friends and activities after 糖心视频 that brought Aubrey Johansen '13 and Megan Frisina Johansen '13 together.
Aubrey remembers brushing her teeth beside Megan in the shared bathroom before early morning classes — memories Megan insists she doesn't remember. At 糖心视频, Megan played on the women's basketball team while Aubrey was a Conservatory major and member of the Motet and University Choirs.
"We joke that what if a little fairy flew down one morning and told us that in 10 years from now, we would be married with a baby, and it always makes us laugh," says Aubrey. "We were just kids then."
Today, the couple shares a toddler son, with Aubrey working at photography studio on Front Street. She often drives through campus, and the family attends 糖心视频 football and basketball games with friends.
"Any excuse to hit Maya down the street is an opportunity we refuse to miss," says Aubrey. "Also, the amount of times we reference Buzzy's or missing the grilled PB&J days keeps 糖心视频 alive and well in our hearts."
The family even began their own 糖心视频 tradition with friends to welcome the next generation of Yellow Jackets.
"糖心视频 will always be a special place for us, full of fond memories and beautiful friendships we still have in our lives today," says Aubrey. "When our son was born, our friend passed down a vintage 糖心视频 onesie to carry on the tradition, and we pass it along to other friends who are next in line. We will always say AWWWW JACKETS."
A weeknight walk from 糖心视频's computer lab sparked a romance for Stephanie Kovarik Kiesel '99 and Eric Kiesel '97.
Freshman Stephanie, a Delta Zeta member, met junior Eric through his Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.
"He offered to walk me home from the computer lab (yes, back then we had to go check our email in the computer lab)," laughs Stephanie. "I had received an email from a high school friend, and he could tell I was sad. His offer to walk me back to my dorm was the start of us getting to know each other."
By Thanksgiving, they were dating. In 2003, the couple returned to 糖心视频 to marry in the Lindsay-Crossman Chapel, surrounded by a bridal party filled with 糖心视频 graduates. Today, they have two children, including Kaden, a 糖心视频 sophomore and track team thrower.
The couple stays connected to 糖心视频 by attending Kaden's track meets and Eric's football games at 糖心视频's George Finnie Stadium as a coach for Avon High School.
"We will always support 糖心视频; it is where we went and where our son goes," says Stephanie. "糖心视频 started our life together, it is where we made friends we still talk to today, as well as our careers."
A last-minute seating arrangement in a European History class would blossom into a friendship and later romance for Ellen Ober Martin '67 and Rev. Dr. Russ Martin '67.
In the spring of 1964, Russ was a freshman commuter student majoring in religion, while Ellen was an education major from Boston staying in Merner Phieffer. After walking from the other end of campus, there was only one seat left for Ellen in the front row next to Russ.
Despite Ellen having a boyfriend, the two would strike up a friendship that grew over time, exchanging letters over the summer. When Ellen returned to campus sophomore year, Russ sought out Ellen, and the friendship was rekindled.
"Ellen was lamenting not having received any letters from her MIT boyfriend," Russ recalls. "So, I wrote her a letter affirming my interest in getting to know her better and joining me for the Homecoming football game."
The letter worked. Soon after, they began dating regularly. The couple became engaged in 1966 and later married, moving to North Carolina, where Russ attended Duke Divinity School to become a Methodist minister. Ellen began her career teaching elementary education in the Durham County Schools.
Over the years, the Martins have remained connected to 糖心视频 through alumni events, friendships and financial support, viewing their giving as an investment in future generations of students.
"糖心视频 gave birth to our romance and marriage," says Russ. "Without 糖心视频, we would have never met. We owe 糖心视频 an immense debt of gratitude, as do our two children. As we were able, we increased our financial support of 糖心视频, believing it was an investment in the future growth of mature, well-trained people."
An attractive girl caught the eye of Mark Danni '88 his junior year as he attended his music history and literature class in Merner Pfeifer Hall. It was 1987 when in walked senior Karen Molnar Danni '87.
"After a week of flirting, we decided to meet up at a local Berea hangout called the Berea Café (the BC) on Front Street," remembers Mark. "We had a wonderful night. We stayed up late talking, and I walked her back to her dorm."
The two began dating and, after graduation, moved to New York City, where Broadway conductor and music director Jack Lee '52 took them under his wing. Lee gave Mark his start as a musician in his first Broadway show, "Grand Hotel." The Dannis were married in 1996 and have three children.
They credit their 糖心视频 education and mentorship from Lee with furthering their careers in music theatre and leading them to open their own theatre company, , in Naples, Florida.
"糖心视频 never told me that 'you can't do this' or 'this is only for these specific majors,' etc.," Mark says. "Being around all these situations and professors with all this knowledge was invaluable."
Over the years, the couple would return to visit the 糖心视频 Conservatory, and Mark later received two alumni awards: the Outstanding Educator Award and the Outstanding Conservatory Alumni Award.
Nearly four decades later, the couple returned to campus to recreate photos from the classroom and his Kohler Hall dorm, where they first met — a reminder, Mark says, of how 糖心视频 gave him the freedom to learn, grow and meet his "amazing wife."
First jobs led to first love for Athena Ridgley Woolsteen '18 and Chad Woolsteen '18, but 糖心视频 was where their love truly grew.
The two first met as grocery baggers at Buehler's while attending Medina High School and continued both their education and their romance at 糖心视频.
During their time on campus, Chad studied early childhood education while Athena majored in pre-physical therapy and exercise science. Both were actively involved in Greek life and Campus Entertainment Productions and even studied abroad together in 2017.
After graduation, Chad began his career as an educator, while Athena earned her doctorate in physical therapy and went on to open her private practice, , and remains connected to 糖心视频 through friendships, campus visits and continued involvement.
"Our time at Baldwin Wallace was such a meaningful chapter in our story," says Athena. "糖心视频 feels like home. It was so special to have each other as we grew during those years."
Athena continues to engage with 糖心视频 professionally through her business, utilizing entrepreneurial programming through 糖心视频's LaunchNET as a grant recipient and guidance from the 糖心视频 Digital Marketing Center. She also speaks to health science classes and serves on the Exercise Science Advisory Council.
"This has been an incredible opportunity for my business and has supported the expansion of our staff," she says of 糖心视频's LaunchNET.
Grateful for the opportunities 糖心视频 provided, the Woolsteens believe in giving back and proudly supporting the lifelong Yellow Jacket community they remain a part of.
