Celebrating love through the decades at Penn State Harrisburg

MIDDLETOWN, Pa. - As Penn State Harrisburg marks its 60th anniversary this year, the college is celebrating more than academic milestones and campus growth; it's honoring the love stories that began here. From chance meetings in residence halls and pizza parties in campus housing to shared classes, teams and friendships, generations of alumni found not only their education but their partners for life. Alumni couples from across the decades recently shared how their campus experiences led to love.

Patricia and the late K. Wayne Fry

Patricia and Wayne graduated in 1969. They were together for 52 years before Wayne passed away in 2021.

Patricia shared:

"Nov. 14, 1968, began as any other day for me but little did I know it would begin a life's journey of over 52 years. This was the day my future husband showed up at my apartment. Penn State had recently purchased Olmsted Air Force base and opened an upper-level degree campus there. The women on campus lived in the old officers' quarters, which were small apartments of four women each. My future husband had come with his buddy to visit one of the girls in my apartment. We soon all became friends and would often attend off-campus dances sponsored by Chi Gamma Iota - XGI fraternity. My husband established the first Chi Gamma Iota fraternity at Capitol Campus in 1968 and served as its president until 1969. As friends, we participated in campus activities sponsored by the XGI, such as planting trees near Church Hall, the men's residence hall, and around campus, holding blood drives, and Operation Santa Claus. During our senior year, our relationship went from being just friends to dating. Our relationship continued to grow and in August of 1969 we were married. We then moved to State College where Wayne got an MBA at Penn State, University Park and I began my teaching career in Tyrone. We eventually moved to Illinois and spent over 40 years there. Our three children all graduated from Penn State, University Park. While our children were attending school there, we would make the trip down to Capitol Campus and relive old memories by checking on the trees we planted, visiting the Blue Room, and touring the new parts of campus. Wayne and I helped to organize our 50th class reunion. Unfortunately, shortly after that, my husband passed away. My children and I wanted to remember Wayne in a special way and chose to have a bench placed in Vartan Plaza at Penn State Harrisburg. It was both a tribute to his Naval service and at the same time, a perfect way to continue our love story."

Carolyn (Witkowski) and Joe Marinko

Carolyn graduated in 1978 and Joe graduated in 1977. They have been married for 45 years.

Carolyn shared:

"In the winter of Joe's senior year at Penn State Harrisburg, I transferred from a community college as a junior. We lived on the same floor in Wrisberg Hall. Joe was well regarded by his fellow electrical engineering students for his ability to explain difficult-to-master concepts. It was not unusual to see students studying with him in his dorm room. His fellow students felt for him when he returned from Christmas break with the news that his girlfriend of many years had ended their relationship. Several fellow students came up to me to tell me what a great guy he was. He had a peculiar practice of blasting British rock music after dinner every night. I happened to share his taste in music and we started talking … and the rest, as they say, is history."

Jonna (Hanahan) and Jay Eiser

Jonna graduated in 1978 and Jay graduated in 1977. They have been together for 48 years and married 45.

Jonna shared:

"Jay and I met at a pizza party held at our friends Lou Gaetano and Greg Prinkey's house in Meade Heights in November of 1976. I knew Lou and Greg from New Kensington campus, where they helped me with any issues that I had during my first year in the Electrical Engineering Technology program there. When they returned to New Kensington to visit during their first year at Capitol, they always told me about "RickandJay," which turned out to be two guys from their EE classes, Rick Fein and Jay Eiser. After I started at Harrisburg (then Capitol), I lived down the street from Lou and Greg. One night, Lou and Greg invited me to their house, where Lou was making pizza for a group of guys who were taking a take-home test. I met "RickandJay" at that party. Shortly after the pizza party, we all went home for the Christmas holidays. When I got back to campus, I became very sick from an infection after having my wisdom teeth removed over the break. Rick kept me company on the first Saturday after an emergency visit to a local dentist. After I felt better, I made a batch of chocolate chip cookies and took it to Rick as a thank you for being a friend during my illness. I visited, spending time with Rick, Jay and Ken, one of their other housemates over the following weeks, doing homework and eating cookies. Jay and I started hanging out together, and I made more chocolate chip cookies for all three of the housemates, which they would put onto a plate and sit over the pilot of the stove, taking warm cookies to class and replacing them for the next person. Jay and I began dating, and after he graduated, I visited him in Philadelphia, getting to know his family during my senior year. I got an engineering job and moved to Bucks County. We married on Oct. 11, 1980, with Rick in our wedding party. Although Lou and Greg weren't able to attend our wedding, we have kept in touch."

Read about the Eisers and other alums who visit campus each year to reminisce - and visit a dollar bill now housed in the Archives and Special Collections, in the Madlyn L. Hanes Library.

Karen and Charlie Stokes

Karen graduated in 1984 and Charlie graduated in 1983. They have been married 42 years.

Karen shared:

"We met in the hallway outside the gym. Charlie was on the basketball team, and I was a cheerleader. We have been together ever since. In December 2025 we [celebrated] 42 years of marriage. Our first apartment was in married housing on campus, which was where the Educational Activities building is now located. Our apartment is now a classroom! We didn't go far from campus as we currently live two blocks off campus. We are recently retired and walk through campus nearly every day, sometimes twice a day. We have enjoyed watching campus grow over the years. It is a beautiful campus! We try to stay active on campus and go to several basketball and soccer games on campus each season."

Denise and Nathan Ott

Denise graduated in May 1998, and Nathan graduated in December 1998. They have been married 26 years.

Denise shared:

"We both lived on campus in Meade Heights. Some of our friends knew each other, and we met at various social gatherings. Then around Halloween, we started to see each other. A year later we were engaged. A year after that we were married. We always joke that not only did I get a bachelor's degree but my Mrs., too."

Laura and Daryl Bond

Laura Bond graduated in 2000 and Daryl graduated in 2009. They have been together for 26 years.

Laura shared:

"We met spring of 1999 on a Thursday evening at the Meade Heights student housing during a BBQ and party. We were both in our first semester at Penn State Harrisburg and were mutually introduced by our friends. Our friendship became more serious, and our interests were so similar; we love ice hockey, love Penn State, and love our families. Our romance bloomed and we were engaged after Sept. 11, 2001, both knowing we found our forever love. We were married on June 15, 2002, and have three children: our son Michael, 17; our daughter Sophia,14; and our youngest son Joey, 12. We now live in York, Pennsylvania. Daryl works as a national sales manager for Water Remediation Technologies LLC, and I am a registered nurse and the director of the Practical Nursing Program at York County School of Technology. Our children all want to go to Penn State one day, and we cheer our Nittany Lions on in true alma mater spirit!"

Haley Vavrek and Joseph Aman

Vavrek graduated in 2020, and Aman graduated in 2022. They have been together six years and plan to get married in 2026.

Haley shared:

"Joey and I both played soccer at Penn State Harrisburg. For a few years without knowing one another, we shared the same athletic training room, were coached by the same strength and conditioning coaches, and shared long bus rides together as the men's and women's teams traveled to almost every away game together. We existed among each other for quite some time, until we crossed paths and fell in love with each other. Inevitably soccer and Penn State Harrisburg were the reasons we found one another. We are getting married (in 2026)."

Other alumni love story submissions can be viewed on the Penn State Harrisburg 60th anniversary website.