Seahawk Sweetheart
February 14, 2025
DIVE INTO LOVE AT THE DUB
THANK YOU FOR CELEBRATING LOVE & HOMECOMING WITH US!
What a weekend! We loved seeing alumni, families, and friends come together to celebrate Homecoming 2025. From unforgettable reunions to spirited festivities, it was a weekend full of Seahawk pride and love.
Stay tuned for more exciting events this spring, and keep the Seahawk magic going.
Flip the page to relive the love with this year’s Seahawk Sweetheart and heartwarming alumni stories!
FROM CAMPUS CRUSHES TO LIFELONG SEAHAWK LOVE
Whether it started with a laugh in Wagoner Dining Hall, a stroll down Chancellor’s Walk, a surf at Wrightsville Beach, or even after graduation, Seahawk Sweethearts prove that UNCW connections last a lifetime. From campus crushes to lifelong partnerships, these stories remind us how UNCW isn’t just where futures are shaped — it’s where hearts find their way home.
This Valentine’s Day, we’re celebrating the love stories that began in the nest or grew after the tassels turned. And what better time to celebrate than Homecoming weekend?
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Pam ’92 & Jay ’93 Poole
I (Jay) met Pam at UNCW. She knew my Swartz Hall roommate from high school band competitions. We would see each other in passing over our freshman and sophomore years.
In our junior year, we were at Wagoner Hall, and it was her birthday, but my roommate forgot about it. She was giving him a hard time, and as I was leaving, I stopped by where she was eating and said, “I will never forget your birthday!”.
Well, a few days later, I’m playing basketball outside of Swartz with friends, and she and a friend ride by on a bike and stop. Pam invited me over to hang out at the on campus apartments (RIP apartments). After basketball, I showered up and went over and had a great time getting to know Pam and her friends.
That started us down the road of graduation, career-starting jobs, and marriage in 1999. We are still happily married Seahawk supporters, with two kids, one a college freshman and one a high school freshman.
We still get back to UNCW at least several times a year to support the university that brought us together! Go Seahawks!!
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Laura Connolly Estes ’19 & Hunter Estes
We met on an abnormally warm spring day a few weeks before finals were in full swing, both stealing away some premature sunshine at an apartment pool with friends, circa 2017. I was with my nursing school friends who had mutual friends with Hunter’s group, thus we met and hit it off grandly. He was nearing the end of his freshman year, and I my sophomore year.
We were inseparable those final weeks of school and finals, fraternity events, studying – we even helped each other move out for the summer. We officially began dating later that year, and braved the rest of college together, the good bad and the ugly!
In 2019 I left Wilmington to work at Duke hospital, and in 2020 Hunter joined me and we lived together in Durham with my cat and his dog to create our nuclear family. In 2021 we found a stray dog who quickly became our beloved daughter. In 2023 we bought our first home.
On new years of 2024, Hunter proposed to me in Athens, Greece with the Pantheon in the distance and fireworks celebrating with us. In October 2024 we tied the knot as the Esteses!
We look very fondly back on our UNCW years, Seahawks forever!
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Blair ’19 & Ben ’19 Fisher
Ben and Blair met during preseason their freshman year at UNCW, where they had both committed to play soccer. Ben was Rookie of the Year, while Blair…held down the bench like a champ. (Hey, every team needs balance!)
But don’t worry — two years later, she worked her way up to team captain.
By then, their friendship had grown into something special, and they decided to give dating a shot.
Now, they’re happily approaching their 3rd year of marriage and still love living in Wilmington, their favorite little beach town.
Thanks to UNCW, these two Seahawks found their lifelong teammate in each other!
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Michele ’91 & Bill ’91 Foster
We had only arrived on campus a few days before & each lived in the athletic dorms (Belk & Hewlett).
I was on the golf team & Bill was on the swim team.
My suite-mates were swimmers and convinced me to join them for a ‘Swim Team Party’ before classes began. We arrived at the party & I saw this kid across the room, wearing a cutoff-sleeved Iron Maiden shirt. I turned to my roommate & said, ‘I need to meet him!’
It was love at first sight… and we have now been married for 32 years (together for 38 years) with two grown kids (one who also graduated from UNCW!).
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight Jordan ’01 & Tony ’01 McEwen
We met in freshman seminar class and I thought he was cute. Our paths crossed next school year when my roommates sorority hung out with his fraternity several times. I mentioned to her that I was interested in him. My friend along with one of his friends set us up on a date.
We went to the Ice House downtown for a party his fraternity was throwing. We hung out all night and started dating thereafter. The rest is history!
We celebrated our 20 year wedding anniversary this past year. year wedding anniversary this past year.
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Nicolette ’02 & Mike ’00 Fulton
Mike and I first met in Prof. Meinhold’s class – and hated each other. The entire semester was spent with the two of us debating each class and then complaining to our friends about each other.
Two years later we met again, but the timing wasn’t just right. The third time was the charm in 2002.
Years later, we were chatting about classes at UNCW and both of us brought up an annoying person in Prof. Meinhold’s class. After a LONG silent pause we both said –‘oh my gosh, that was you!’
We’re at 22 fantastic years together.
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Joanna ’00, ’01M & Jeff ’00 Wise
He walked into my summer school accounting class in Cameron. He got my number for a group project and started calling me for “homework help”.
We’ve been married for 20 years with 3 beautiful boys who we recently took to Wilmington to show them where it all started!
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Delaney
Clark ’20 & Thomas Oliveros
We met on September 10, 2016 at Physical Graffeeti (UNCW’s Hip Hop Dance Crew) auditions. He was one of the judges and I was auditioning as a freshman. I remember him being there but it wasn’t until that night when I saw him again, but this time in the Schwartz Hall lobby.
That was my freshman dorm and wouldn’t you know it, Tommy was the RA on the third floor. I lived on the first floor but I thought it was so funny that I saw someone who was on the dance crew with me! He didn’t have his car on campus so he asked me if I would be his ride to practices. I said yes and we rode to every practice together from then on.
We would park back at Schwartz at the end of each practice and talk or scream sing Disney music (well, he’d listen to me scream sing it) until all hours of the night. We became best friends pretty quickly.
Eventually, the two of us developed feelings for one another and in March of 2017 we made those feelings known. We went on a few dates together and made in official on May 4, 2017. From there we continued to be best friends and soulmates all at the same time.
Our love grew and when COVID hit in 2020, we moved in together so we could still see each other during quarantine. We have been on so many vacations together including lots of Disney trips.
He proposed to me in August 2023 at Disneyland and it was so romantic and magical. We will tie the knot March 15, 2025 and we cannot wait.
We owe our entire relationship to UNCW and the clubs and organizations they offer. We will forever be grateful that we chose to become a Seahawk.
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Kelsey ’12 & Timothy ’12 Archambault
Tim and I met sophomore year at the Dub.
We quickly fell head over heels with our shared love of the ocean, action sports and friends. After graduation, we moved to Charlotte then Raleigh where we had our “destination” wedding in Wilmington downtown.
We moved back to Wilmington 5 years ago, returning to the place where we first said I love you.
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Grayson Hirtz ’23 & Jarrett Spaugh ’23
Jarrett and I both started our freshman year at UNCW in Fall 2019. After COVID, classes were all online, but once some were back in person, we were in the same art history class during our sophomore year.
We started talking all of the time and became good friends. We would spend a lot of our time at Randall studying for our class and getting to know each other more. We stayed in touch after the semester ended and started dating in January 2021.
We both graduated in 2023 and we now live together and work in Wilmington! We love living by the beach and our alma mater. We are looking forward to staying here in Wilmington for many years!
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Morgan ’18, ’24M & Andrew ’17 Arant
Andrew and Morgan met in August of 2016 in an 8am marine biology class.
Andrew was a Wilmington native and was in his senior year at UNCW. But, Morgan had just moved to Wilmington having transferred to UNCW for her junior year.
The class they met in was her very first day on campus.
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Katelynn Garner-Cooke ’06 & Gregory Cooke ’06
We met at Randall Library. We were both part of the honors college and we had an honors class together during my (Katelynn) freshman year.
While we had overlapping friends and ran into each other regularly, we didn’t date in college. After college, Greg stayed in Wilmington and worked for UNCW Athletics while I moved out of state.
We started dating a few years after college. And eventually, I returned to Wilmington, where we got engaged and married downtown at the Basilica Shrine of St Mary.
We love being a part of the Seahawk family and are hoping our two girls will consider UNCW when it’s time for them to head off to college.
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Julia Staton ’24 & David Cason ’25
We met on a study abroad trip to South Africa with the CHHS department supervised by Wayland Tseh and Alex McDaniel. Throughout the trip we noticed one another and the fact that we took a class the previous semester but passed each other by.
On the fourth day (out of ten) we finally started getting closer and closer until he confessed feelings to my bestfriend who then shared it with me. Fast forward to the last night, at 4 am on a safari we watched the stars where he set to play Tennessee Whiskey while slow dancing with me where we had our first kiss.
Since then we’ve traveled internationally on our own solidifying the truth we are soulmates! Couldn’t have done it without UNCW, been together ever since.
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Jordan Tanley ’21 & Chase Webb ’19,
We met online during my freshman year (his junior year), and our first date was at the Chick-fil-A at Fisher’s – we even both used our own meal plans to buy dinner. We made it offi cial soon after (my roommate said it’s not official until he asked ‘will you be my girlfriend’ so I made him ask it lol).
The next semester, I convinced him to join UNCW’s Pep Band with me, and we went to every single basketball game together. Cut to 2 years later, and he graduated and moved back home. We did long distance from then until I finished graduate school in 2022. That Decem ber, we bought a house together, adopted a cat named Luny and later adopted a dog named Gus!
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Savannah Hess ’23 & Bremen Holland ’21
The first time I saw Bremen was at the Involvement Carnival my freshman year at UNCW. He was tabling for the Photography Club and was the President at the time.
Along with my interest in Photography, I was drawn to his kindness and energy. I joined the club and ended up becoming a leader as the Treasurer that same year.
We started communicating more one-on-one after the Covid Pandemic caused everything to move virtually in spring of 2020.
Our first meetup was later that summer to take photos in downtown Wilmington.
We officially started dating in July of 2020 and got engaged in September of 2024!
We look forward to a Spring 2026 wedding and are forever thankful for our time at UNCW. It provided us with a stellar education, avenues to express our creativity, and ultimately our love story!
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Anna ’21 & Chris ’21 Kelly
We met our freshman year because we both lived on the third floor of cornerstone hall.
We became best friends and soon fell in love and started dating at the end of freshman year.
We got engaged our senior year and married in May 2022 on Bald Head Island.
We have now moved to Orlando to live out our dreams but we would have never have met if wasn’t for UNCW and Cornerstone Hall!
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Lauren Mae ’15 & Mackenzie James ’12, ’15 Skrba
We met on the track and field team in 2011 where we went from lifting partners to life partners.
One night during finals I had run out of meal swipes and Mack offered to take me out to dinner on Wrightsville Beach - we spent the night after dinner in a lifeguard stand on the beach hiding from a storm that Mack had sworn was only heat lighting due to his experience in weather in climate class - he was obviously wrong.
A dog, a house purchase in Castle Hayne, 3 degrees and 6 years later we were engaged at Kure Beach.
We moved back to NJ where we both were originally from. Mack currently works as a Senior CRA, and Mae is a marine biologist for NJFW and marine biology teacher at MAST.
We have been married since 2018, and now have 3 dogs (one of which is still our college pup Sonic), a son named Thorin and another one on the way! (Like due next week!)
We can’t wait to take our boys to Wilmington, Wrightsville, and Kure Beach to share all the memories that we made there.
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Seahawk Sweetheart Spotlight
Rachel Corak ’21 & William Steyskal ’21, ’22M
We met the first day of move in 2017 at the University Apartments. He was best friends with my roommate, he started coming over to hang out with her and eventually with me. We started dating just a month later and got married in September this year (2024).
Do you have a Seahawk Sweetheart story? Share it with us to be featured: alumni.uncw.edu/seahawksweetheartsform
Thank You for Sharing Your Seahawk Sweetheart Stories!
We loved hearing about all the love that began at UNCW! Your stories of connection and memories on campus made this celebration even more special. Check out the featured Sweetheart stories on the Facebook and Instagram.
Didn’t Get a Chance to Share Your Story?
That’s okay! There’s still time to submit your Seahawk Sweetheart story — it may be featured next year! Keep the love going and share your story today.
Submit Your Story Today:
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