This year we had 15 Penguin couples share their love story with us, and each one is special! Congratulations to all the alumni who started their journey together at YSU.
Isabelle McCloskey 2023 Bachelors Degree in Forensic Science + Zachary Janosik 2020 Bachelors Degree in Environmental Science
“When I was a freshmen, in the spring of 2018, I took Intro to Criminal Justice with my younger sister. Zach, majoring in Environmental Science, had a gap in his schedule and decided to take also take this class to fill in his schedule and for a little boost to his GPA. He barely said two words to me for most of the semester, but after my sister and I ran into him at his job at Best Buy, we got to talking. We exchanged numbers and hung out a few times around campus, but after that we didn’t see each other the rest of the summer. At the time I had planned to move to California to live with my dad so he thought he wasn’t going to see me again after that semester. Fast forward to the end of the summer, I had made the bold decision to not move, and live here on my own while I continued working towards my degree. I took the fall semester off to work on myself, but still hung out and went to some events to support my friend who was still in school. When build a penguin came around that fall, I went with my friend since she didn’t want to go alone. On our way back to the car, we just so happened to walk right by Zach. I pointed him out to my friend and kept walking. Once back at the car, he immediately texted me saying, “Am I crazy or did I just see you, I thought you were in California.” And the rest is history. We have been together ever since and are planning our wedding for August 2024.”
Madeline Grimes 2017 Marketing Management & Arts Administration Tyler Pabst 2017 Chemistry
“Tyler and Madeline first crossed paths through what is now the Sokolov Honors College in 2014. Although their romantic relationship did not commence until after their graduation, they rekindled their connection during a tailgate gathering at Penn State. The event was hosted by Megan Evans, a fellow YSU Honors alum and a dear friend of Tyler and Madeline. (Megan is pictured to the left of Madeline in the accompanying photo.)
In June 2022, Tyler and Madeline exchanged vows at Fellows Riverside Gardens. Presently, they reside in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania with their tiny black cat, Nora.”
Jerad Shuster 2000 Industrial and Systems Engineering / BE Jennifer Shuster (Davis) 1998 Telecommunications / BA
“We met at GM Lordstown where we both worked. Our first time out together was to attend the 4th of July parade on the green in Canfield in the summer of 2000. We were married at St Christine Church in Youngstown in 2002. We have 3 children Alexis, Logan and Sydney. We currently live outside St Louis, Missouri.”
Ashley Wilfong 2017 Accounting and Non-Profit Leadership Michael Wilfong 2017 Accounting
“Mike and I officially met during the fall semester of 2015. I was already in Alpha Xi Delta sorority, and he was joining Sigma Chi Fraternity. Annually, Sigma Chi hosts a philanthropy event to raise funds for cancer research, and that year the theme was Harry Potter. So they had broom sticks in the house after a game of quidditch the sororities participated in. I tossed him a broom stick and said “sword fight me”, and he thought it was cute that I was weird, haha. The rest is history! As we learned about each other, we found out we had previously been in classes together and never even knew the other person at the time (small world). We moved to Canton after graduation and have been out here ever since. We got married in September of 2020 to ensure our families got the chance to be apart of that special day.”
James Baer 1974 Nursing Carol Haggerty Baer 1974 Nursing
“We met in the fall of 1973 and dated through out the year. We were married in July of 1974 and will be celebrating our 50th anniversary in 2024. We have 3 children, 4 Grand children and a great grandson. The first photo is at a YSU tailgate in September 2021. “
Ashley Metzinger 2015 Bachelor’s of science in education Michael Metzinger 2012 Bachelor’s of science in business administration
“During college, Ashley worked in the YSU athletic department. In September of 2012, she was working on the elevator taking fans to the loges during a high school game. She was introduced to Michael that night on the elevator and they instantly clicked! They started dating in 2013, got engaged in 2014 and got married in 2015!”
Bethany McCain 2010 Chemical Engineering Andrew McCain 2009 Electrical Engineering
“We were both in the YSU Scholars program living in Cafaro! We ended up living on the same floor and meeting through mutual friends. We started dating in 2009, engaged in 2012, and married in 2013. We now have two kids. The first picture is us at the Scholar Phormal dance!”
Erin O’Hara 2012 BSBA/Accounting DJ O’Hara 2014 BSBA/Management Information Systems and BSAS/Information Technology
“We first met in the summer of 2011 in Dr. Claypool’s fraud accounting class. I’m still not sure how DJ ended up in that class when he was definitely not an accounting major! Our first date was in 2012, and we were married on July 2, 2016 on the beach in Destin, Florida. We currently reside in Greenford, OH, and we recently welcomed our first child, a daughter named Lucy, in 2023. “
Samantha Beachem 2007 Early Childhood Education Austin Beachem Electrical Utility Technology
“We met in February 2006 through a mutual friend, and started dating shortly after. We were married July 2009. “
Emily Kochman 2017 Communications with a minor in Marketing Cole Kochman 2017 Communications with a minor in Public Relations
“Emily and Cole met at Youngstown State University. As freshmen in college, Cole was an outside linebacker on the YSU football team and Emily worked full-time in the football office. They would often see one another in passing at the office. Emily really took a liking to Cole because of his tan skin and long hair.
The soon-to-be couple were both communication majors and their classes were in most if not all of the same buildings. One day at Maag Library, Emily was waiting for her friend, Brandon and she noticed Cole yet again.
Cole was walking directly in-front of Brandon and if you know Brandon he’s super short. It’s safe to say, Emily couldn’t see Brandon as she was trying to wave him down for class. Cole’s initial thought was that Emily was waving at him but quickly realized…she wasn’t! Cole blushed and swiftly put his hand down.
It wasn’t long after that, that they started to smile and wave to one another on campus all the time. Once Cole gained up the courage, he messaged Emily on social media and they have talked every day since!
After dating all 4 years of college, it was time for Cole to move back home to Pittsburgh, PA. After doing long distance for about a year, Cole decided he wanted to further his commitment to Emily. He bought a house in Tampa, FL and ask her to come along. Emily agreed so they packed up their things and moved South. (With the help of their parents, of course…Thanks Mom & Dad!) Although sadden about what they were leaving behind, they were excited to begin their journey to forever.
After 7 long years of dating, Cole decided to pop the question. Of course, he wanted the day to be special so he asked a few of his closest friends to help, Michael and Colton. He planned the day around an outdoor dinner at Ulele in downtown Tampa. The night began with drinks at a rooftop bar called M. Bird and dinner was within walking distance as most things in Florida are.
While headed to dinner, there was a red bridge Cole recommended everyone go to. As Emily was looking over the bridge, Michael said, “”Hey Em, I bet you can’t find any fish.”” Once Emily began looking for fish, Michael and Colton blocked off the bridge and Cole got down on one knee behind Emily. Once Emily turned around she froze in excitement and said “”YES!”””
Jessica Hurdley 2003 BSBA marketing Justin Hurdley 2004 Religious studies
“We met our freshman year, spring semester at YSU in our business calculus class. He seemed to get good grades and a group of us was struggling! We asked him to help us and he ended up becoming our tutor! We became best friends and while I dated others during our friendship it was always him. My senior year at YSU we went from best friends to dating. We have been married for almost 19 years now, 2 beautiful kids and still live in the valley! “
Ashley Totin 2015/2017 Industrial and Systems Engineering Matthew Totin 2016 Civil Engineering Tech
“Matt and I were attending YSU and had a couple engineering classes together but never knew one another. I started an internship in 2014 downtown Youngstown at America Makes, the National Additive Manufacturing Innovation Institute. The day I started I was introduced to three other interns and I remember shaking Matt’s hand. There was an instant connection. We found out we both went to YSU and became best friends. Our friendship turned into a love over the next year and we did everything together. From SWE’s dinner with industry to getting our engineering rings at YSU to being there for each other’s graduation. We soon moved in together and rescued a pup named Rex. We got engaged on New Years Eve 2016. We took our engagement photos downtown Youngstown, because the city meant so much to us. Our wedding was September 2, 2018 and it was held at the Church attached to the Butler Institute of American Art on YSU’s campus. Our wedding favors were laser cut using the equipment in the 3D printing lab in Moser. So many pieces of YSU were incorporated into our wedding, even a few of our professors attended our wedding! We had our first child, Benjamin, July 31st, 2021 and reside in Liberty. Still close to the campus and engaged with the community. “
Laney Rafoth Pinciaro (Marlana) 2000 Bachelor of Science Elementary Education Joe Pinciaro Jr. 1999 Bachelor of Science Business Administration, Industrial Marketing
“We knew of each other for 8 years before meeting because our best friends were siblings, but we never met in person until we were both YSU students. Joe would stop by the Center of Student Progess to see Laney who worked on campus as a Peer Assistant. They shared their first meal together at the MVR during a break between classes. Joe and Laney agreed to get married over the phone in June 2000 when Joe called to tell her during her on vacation that he accepted a job in Minnesota. They were married on Friday the 13th in October of 2000 and the Vindicator included them in an article about people that were NOT superstitious.”
Laurie (Snyder) Norris 1985 Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications Tim Norris Sr. 1991 Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications
“We met in an 8am telecommunications class. Tim says as soon as he saw me walk into the class, he knew we were meant to be together! He sat across from me and usually fell asleep. I felt bad for him AND I also thought he was REALLY cute, so we started talking. I found out he worked full time, which is why he was so tired. We got put into a group project, he asked me to go with him to a Journey concert, and 40+ years later, we have been happily married for 38 years! We married in 1985, one week after I graduated. He proposed to me in the Lincoln parking deck when he walked me to my car after a night class. Not the most romantic spot, but it definitely was a surprise!”
Dave Mangun 1973 Civil Engineering, Jan Mangun 1972 Biology
“During spring quarter of 1970 Jan and I met in the Kilcawley Cafeteria which, at the time, was as close to a student center as YSU had. A football teammate of mine, George Gluvna, had two tickets for a Gary Puckett and the Union Gap concert that evening at Stambaugh Auditorium, but no date. So George and I sat at a table near the public restrooms in Kilcawley, where virtually every one of the student body passed by at one time or another, while George “trolled” for a date. Along comes Jan with a friend of hers, and George knew Jan from Biology classes so he called her over. While I struggled to make conversation with Jan’s friend (I was socially awkward in those days), George made a date with Jan to attend the concert. Fast forward to a week or so later and Jan came up to me outside Kilcawley, near the amphitheater at the time, in her gym clothes. She had just finished her Phys Ed class in softball. She asked me if I remembered her (silly question if you ask me since she was most attractive and actually talked to me!). She told me that she had been on-campus all day (she was a commuter), that she had a night class coming up and had nothing to eat since breakfast. She also told me that she had no money and asked if I would loan her some money for food. I told her “no” which created a pregnant pause. I then told her “But I will buy you something to eat”, which definitely broke the ice. Off we went to the cafeteria and had a very congenial conversation while she ate her gifted meal. Despite our contrasting backgrounds, me, a shy country bumkin playing varsity football and majoring in engineering (nerd!) and her being a city girl, in a sorority and majoring in Biology (slightly less nerdy), we hit it off from the start. We continued to run into each other, mostly when she was hungry (!) and I started to walk her to her night classes and to her car afterward. The YSU campus was very dimly lit with unpaved parking lots in those days so security was an issue. Our relationship continued to grow, albeit a platonic one at first, and we would venture off to Mill Creek Park and the DQ (Dairy Queen); yes more food involved. Oh, and did I say that I may have convinced her to skip class now and then? The next step was an invitation from Jan to accompany her to the Sorority Dinner Dance. I battled my lack of social graces, donned a suit and tie, even though I hated formal clothing. She eventually civilized me and our relationship morphed from like to love. We dated for the next two years while we were both at YSU and survived a long distance relationship for a year while she attended Yale New Haven Medical school to get her certification in Medical Technology. On May 25, 1974, one year after we both finished school, we tied the bonds of matrimony at St. Columba Cathedral, on the outskirts of the YSU campus. Our joke is that I decided that it was cheaper to marry her than to keep buying her lunch and dinner. We will celebrate our 50th anniversary this May and I’m still paying for the groceries!”
