There are no shortage of love stories at Georgetown. From meet-cutes on the GUTS Bus, in religion class and at an embassy, learn how these Hoyas met their loved ones.
An Elevator Ride
Skylar: We first met freshman year as we both lived in Village C West. During the first couple of weeks of school, I decided to explore other floors to meet new people. I got off the elevator on a random floor, which is where I met Sebastien. He and his roommate, Hekima Findley, who was the best man in our wedding, were listening to music and joking around when I approached their open door. I introduced myself and poked fun at them for having an electric tea kettle but no decorations to brighten up the dull walls of their room.
Sebastien: I was intrigued by Skylar’s audacious remarks in this first interaction, sparking my interest in getting to know her more. The rest is history!
Skylar: We ended up becoming very close friends throughout the remainder of freshman year. Our foundation of being best friends has allowed our love to blossom in beautiful ways, and we both love how we push each other to be a better version of ourselves each and every day.
Skylar Luke (SFS’19, L’22) is an attorney focused on aviation finance law and Sebastien Pierre-Louis (B’19) is an investment professional focused on investing in family and founder-led businesses. They married in 2023 and had 13 Hoyas in their bridal party.
That Guy on the GUTS Bus
Every day, we were on the GUTS bus at the same time going to and from the Rosslyn Metro Station and Georgetown. I had noticed Dave for a couple weeks, and I knew I wanted to meet him. One day, I decided to sit next to him on the bus and say hi. He was always reading a book, so it was an easy conversation topic. Talking to Dave was easy and natural, and, as cheesy as it sounds, I knew immediately I wanted him to be an important person in my life.
We continued talking on the bus every day, and we even started an informal book club. At some point, we also began eating lunch together outside of the ICC. I think those stairs might be my favorite place on campus.
Alison DeBoer (G’13) is the senior associate director of graduate admissions at Georgetown and her husband Dave DeBoer (G’13) is a data analytics consultant. Learn more about their love story in this piece.
A Missed Connection
We met at The Tombs at a mutual friend’s birthday party in July 2012. We hit it off but parted ways that night without exchanging contact information. I thought he was really cute, but I thought he had graduated already so I wasn’t sure if I would see him again.
We kept bumping into each other on campus once the semester started, and I learned he was graduating in December 2012. I was working at Midnight Mug [at the time], and one of my co-workers said I should ask him out. So I texted him and asked if he wanted to do trivia at The Tombs. He said yes and we had a great time! I knew very early on, probably only a few months in, that I wanted to marry him. I’ve just always loved being with him, and that initial attraction never wore off.
Alex McCarthy (SFS’13) is the assistant director of business administration for the Landegger Program in International Business Diplomacy within Georgetown’s School of Foreign Service, and Justin McCarthy (C’12) is a copywriter and brand strategist in the DC area.
A Second Chance
We met in 2012 at a Muslim Student Association event. We were invited to the Pakistani ambassador’s house for her annual Christmas party. I don’t remember who introduced us, but I remember that Taaha was on the shy side. He seemed younger compared to the other 18-year-old guys I knew, and a little nerdy. From there, we saw each other on and off at various events on campus.
After graduation, I moved to Dallas for med school and Taaha found his way to New York and then the Bay Area. During my second year, he happened to be in Dallas for a business trip. Out of the blue, he called to ask if I wanted to hang out. We met up for sweet crepes. I remember thinking, wow, this guy had a glow-up. Gone was the shy, nerdy boy I had met years earlier. Taaha seemed so much more mature and confident. We talked for hours about our time away from Georgetown, our career goals and our hopes for family lives in the future.
I never would have expected his name to pop up on my phone after graduation, let alone see him again. However, reflecting on it now, I don’t think I should be that surprised by our love story. My time at Georgetown was full of unexpected surprises — that magic remains even after graduation.
Sabiha Hussain (N’16) is a pediatrician and Taaha Akhtar (B’16) is a product manager. They just had their first baby in December 2023, and said the first nurse who cared for them was a Georgetown alum.
Interview Nerves
We first met at our National Urban Fellows interview in Old North. I was nervous at the opportunity to be the first person in my family to receive a master’s degree. A mix-up led me and a few potential fellows upstairs on the second floor of Old North. As we all chatted and waited for the interviews to start, we were later told that interviews were happening downstairs. Omar was the only one in the correct room and seeing him for the first time, I felt an instant attraction.
After the interviews, I waited by the entrance of Old North next to a big window. It was raining. Omar approached me and we talked for a little while. He told me that he had to catch a bus back to NYC but hoped that he’d see me again and wished me good luck. As I watched him walk away, I just had this feeling that he was going to be someone important in my life.
María Guillén (G’20) is the communications coordinator for the U.S. and Canada at the Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives. Omar Suarez (G’20) is the director of partnerships and outreach at the New York City Campaign Finance Board. They welcomed their first child, Samuel Guillén Suarez, on Feb. 1.
A Name Tag at Happy Hour
Charlie: Olivia was one of the first people I met at Georgetown. We were out on the McDonough Patio OPICS’s [Office of Public Interest and Community Service] happy hour on my first day in DC. I knew no one. I was standing in the corner of the patio making friends with another queer 1L, and the prettiest girl I’d ever seen came up and introduced herself. She had a Section 5 name tag on, and I remember hoping I’d get to sit near her one day. She’s saved me a seat ever since.
Olivia: I thought Charlie seemed really interesting and definitely too cool for me. I knew they were someone I would be lucky to have in my life, in any capacity. We began hanging out a lot more in a smaller group of friends, and slowly realized that we might both be having the same feelings about each other. Our first date was a day in Georgetown. … My favorite memory from it is when we were sitting together on a patch of grass, and Charlie read some of their poems to me. Charlie is a fabulous poet.
Charlie: Olivia was a terrifying person to fall in love with. She holds the original patent for playing it cool. So when we spent our first full day alone together and I read her poetry on the Georgetown Waterfront, I was certain I’d scared her away. But that afternoon, her 70s denim jumpsuit, and her inscrutable expression as she watched me read to her have become my most treasured memories. … She has become the highlight of every day. No matter what things I go on to do, coming home to her will be the best of them.
Charlie Constantin (L’25) and Olivia Pavao (L’25) are in their second year of law school.
A Love Story Inside an Ambulance
We both lived in New South during freshman year. We probably passed each other in the lobby a hundred times before we formally met, which wasn’t until my birthday in February. My brother was a senior at Georgetown at the time and let us gather at his Village A rooftop to celebrate. That was the first “Catherine-meet-Ken, Ken-meet-Catherine” moment. We were close friends before we started dating, so there were many unofficial “dates” at Leo’s before we made it official during sophomore year.
Ken was pre-med in the College, and I was in the MSB, so our classes and activities were very different, but we loved our shared times in GERMS [the student-run Georgetown Emergency Response Medical Service] together. Ken and I really found our home in GERMS, and it was one of our best experiences at Georgetown. When we reached out to GERMS recently to ask if we could bring our 4-year-old to see the inside of the ambulance for his birthday (since he loves all things cars/trucks), they were so nice in accommodating us. Since we started dating when we were only 19 years old, I feel like we’ve really grown up together. I’m eternally grateful to Georgetown for connecting us.
Catherine Vaz (B’08) is the advising dean of the Undergraduate Program Office for the McDonough School of Business. Ken Vaz (C‘08) is an orthopedic surgeon at the Medstar Georgetown University Hospital. They just celebrated their 15-year reunion from Georgetown in 2023 and will celebrate their 10-year wedding anniversary later this year.
When Med and Law Meet
Emily: As most 20-somethings do these days, we met through a dating app. I saw Georgetown mentioned on her profile and figured she must be pretty cool so I gave it a shot! She also had a picture with a goat which sold me.
Lauren: We got drinks at the Georgetown Waterfront for our first date. It was early summer so the weather was really nice and we sat outside. We ended up talking for hours and people watching. A few months after we met, Emily and I went to Chicago for her first marathon. While I was cheering her on and tracking her progress, I realized I was totally in love.
Emily: Earlier on in our relationship, there were a few instances I was away for longer periods of time for clinical rotations. We made the best of that time and absence really did make the heart grow fonder. I knew she was special.
Emily Phelps (C’19, G’20, M’24) is the co-founder of the Refugee Health Navigator Program and in her final year at Georgetown’s School of Medicine. Lauren Eber (L’25), is the vice president of the Jewish Law Students Association and an editor of the Georgetown Journal of Gender and the Law.
Stealing Seats
I sat in his seat on test day in accounting class sophomore year. He didn’t mention it being his seat at the time and kindly helped me do some last-minute test prep. He was extremely polite and good humored, and had beautiful eyes. I hoped to see him again.
After several missed opportunities to rendezvous outside of class, we finally ended up finding each other at Philly P [a former pizza restaurant] one night a few weeks later. I realized fairly early on that he was unlike anyone I had ever met before; his considerate nature coupled with his creativity and humor kept me hooked, and I can honestly say that after 15 years, life with William has never been boring.
Noelle Stamos (C’11) is a healthcare administrator at New York-Presbyterian Hospital and William Stamos (C’11) is an entrepreneur.
A Meet-Cute in Religion Class
We both had Problem of God with Fr. Hentz. Sunny caught my eye… a pretty girl in the class I’d hoped to talk to but never had the chance.
Later that year I was living in the newly built SW Quad and my friends in Henle were having a get-together on Friday night. I showed up and there was that girl from Problem of God! I chatted with her, was struck by her warm and lovely personality, laugh, and although I only got her name, I knew I wanted to see her again.
As it happens, my friend Mike Mortorano (B’07) had a similar experience, meeting Cecilia Kill (N’07) during the same get-together. As we both walked to homecoming the next morning with our friends, we agreed we wanted to find those girls again. To our good fortune, Cecilia and Sunny were roommates and were sitting together at a homecoming tailgate table as we arrived. Mike and I introduced ourselves again and the rest is history. … Perhaps one day the Mortorano and Squindo boys will meet their future spouses at Georgetown too, on the same day!
Alain Squindo (C’07) is an executive at Broad Arrow Auctions and Sunny Jeffries Squindo (N’07) is a Trauma Program Manager at Corewell Health. Alain and Mike have since become business partners in a start-up classic car auction company that was acquired by Hagerty.
