The following stories were submitted by Stevens alums who found their true love while at Castle Point. These paragraphs are a compilation of their responses. Enjoy, and happy Valentine’s Day!
Carl & Emily Smith
Carl and Emily, BE 2002 and BE/ME 2003, met in 1999 while working as tour guides for an admissions open house. They started dating in late 2000 and dated for the remainder of their time at Stevens. They became engaged in March 2004, got married in October 2005, and are now happily raising their two kids, Kijo and Elliana, in the Finger Lakes region of New York!
Alecia & Teddy Poppe:
Alecia and Teddy Poppe, Class of 2012 and 2013, met in their first year at Stevens, where they immediately began arguing over whether Boston or New York City was the ultimate city. They spent their time at Stevens very involved and often working together in the SGA, residential, and Greek life! In May 2013, they got engaged on Castle Point, overlooking the city skyline by Hoxie House. They are still involved in their community, along with their dog and two kids, Tommy and Leria!
Stephanie & Cliff Godfrey:
Stephanie and Cliff Godfrey, Class of 2006 and 2007, met on Halloween 2004 at a party at the SigNu fraternity house. They spent their time at Stevens inseparable, joking that they might as well have earned each other’s degrees since they support each other so much! They married in 2015 in a beautiful destination wedding in Riviera Maya, Mexico and this year they are celebrating their 21st Valentine’s Day with their three kids!
Ashley & Joe Tiseo:
Ashley and Joe Tiseo, Class of 2008, met on the first day pre-orientation and have been inseparable since! Ashley happened to wear Joe’s favorite color, and when she chose Hoboken Cottage for dinner, Joe made sure to grab a seat next to her. While at Stevens, they spent as much time together as possible, only separated by their major-specific classes. They got engaged in 2008 and married in 2010. Recently, they celebrated 21 years with a trip to Switzerland, where they hiked the Alps and tried to see every waterfall possible!
Ken & Sandra Burgos:
Ken and Sandra Burgos, Class of 1999 and 2000, started dating in their third year at Stevens after a fun Colonel John’s Ratskeller Night, at a former campus bar! They were introduced by a mutual friend and instantly hit it off, exploring Hoboken and going out together. They got engaged two years after graduation during a San Francisco business trip and married about a year later! They currently have three daughters: one in sixth grade, one in 11th grade, and one who is a first-year student at Stevens!
John & Dawn Shilkoski:
John and Dawn Shilkoski, Class of 2006 and 2009, met through a hot dog eating contest at SigNu! While at Stevens, they had a fun relationship, enjoying travelling, exploring new restaurants, and living life to its fullest. They got engaged in 2007 and married in 2009, and now have a three-year-old son, John Warren!
Freddy Mendieta & Caroline Irungu:
Freddy Mendieta and Caroline Irungu, BE-2005/ME-2013 and BE 2006, met in the summer of 2003 while Freddy was taking classes and Caroline was a TA for the STEP program. With mutual friends, they often spent evenings together and stayed connected via AIM while Freddy was on co-op. They spent a lot of time on campus, between their dorms in Palmer and Tech Halls, and ventured out for food at spots like Margaritas and CJ’s. Even faculty predicted they would marry one day! They got engaged on Christmas 2007,married in October 2009, and after leaving the area in 2016, they settled in Indiana, where they live with their three kids, Olivia, Isabella, and Leonardo!
George Blazeski & Victoria (Tori) O’Connor:
George Blazeski and Victoria (Tori) O’Connor, Class of 2010 and 2011, met on a Labor Day Weekend trip with mutual friends in 2010. Although George had already graduated when they started dating, they knew each other through mutual friends and were frequently in the same room while at Stevens. They got engaged in February 2012 and married a year later, in October 2013. Since then, they have both practiced law and now have three sons under the age of seven, keeping them on their toes!
Krista (Sticco) & Zach Carr:
Krista (Sticco) and Zach Carr, Class of 2012 and 2011, officially met in Pierce Dining Hall one day after Zach had just finished soccer practice and Krista was introduced by a mutual friend. They got to know each other over meals, studying, and crossing paths as their relationship unfolded naturally and effortlessly until they eventually started dating a year later. They got married on March 7, 2015 — the same day as both of their parents’ wedding and are now working raising their two kids, Milo and Ellery!
Nicolas & Carla Cabrera:
Nicolas and Carla Cabrera, Class of 1999, met before during a prospective students’ weekend and later reconnected through the STEP program and extracurricular activities. With the help of mutual friends, Nicolas pursued Carla, who eventually came around. They bonded over shared interests like bowling, dancing, and clubbing. They started dating the semester before their senior year and got engaged in 2002 atop the Empire State Building. After moving to Connecticut, they married in 2003 and now enjoy bowling, biking, camping, and traveling with their two sons, Noah and Jai!
