Valentine’s Day is a time to express the love we have for the special people in our lives. In celebration, Florida Tech alumni shared their personal campus meet-cute stories—and some great then-and-now photos!—which have turned into lasting connections.
1990s
Karen (Edwards) Czarniak ’93 and Thomas Czarniak ’93
Karen and Thomas met through friends who loved to dance at Brassy’s Take II, and they had a mutual interest in golf. After playing a round, there were (car) jump-starts and pet (-sitting) swaps, though Thomas had eyes for Karen’s roommate. Following graduation, long-distance love through letters and yoga brought them together.
Now, the couple just celebrated 30 years together! They are still kickin’ it in Melbourne as empty nesters and find their way down to “the Jungle” (Joy and Gordon Patterson Botanical Garden) from time to time.
Laura (Hudson) Novak and Derek Novak ’94
At a school with a guy-to-girl ratio of 7-to-1, Derek decided that joining the orientation staff was the best way to meet girls, and that’s exactly how he met Laura! As a member of College Players, he encouraged her to audition for the fall production of “Dracula” to try to spend more time with her. The 8 a.m. class he was dreading became more bearable when he discovered she was in the class next door. Friends noticed he was always early to class and teased him when they noticed why. They started dating after “Dracula” wrapped. Five years later, they married in 1998.
Now, Derek is the chief engineer for the American Bureau of Shipping and is celebrating his 30th anniversary with the company. He also serves on the College of Engineering and Sciences Advisory Board. Derek and Laura serve on the Parent Leadership Council together, and Laura is a moderator for the Florida Tech Parents Facebook group. They have two daughters: The first graduated from Florida Tech in May 2024, and the second started at Florida Tech in August 2024. Hopefully, they will both get to write a future Florida Tech love story!
Lauren (Sautner) Hall ’97, ’96 M.S., and Ethan Hall ’96
Lauren and Ethan met in 1993 and were friends for three years before they made it official. Within a month of dating, they knew they would be together forever and started making plans. They were married in 1998 and raised their family less than a mile from Florida Tech’s campus.
Now, Ethan is a marine science teacher at Melbourne High School, and Lauren is an environmental scientist at the St. John’s River Water Management District. They have three amazing kids and are soon-to-be empty nesters.
2000s
Brenda (Pedersen) Moore ’00 and Eric Moore ’00
Brenda and Eric met at the opening weekend icebreaker for freshmen. As they hung out with new friends at the Southgate pool, they started to chat and learned they had grown up in neighboring towns and had likely crossed paths at high school sporting events. The connection was strong enough for Brenda to keep talking to Eric, and in September 1996, they started dating. Their relationship not only brought them together but brought them a network of amazing friends they are still in touch with today.
Now, Brenda is a research scientist at Emory University studying Alzheimer’s disease, and Eric is a design quality engineering leader for Philips Medical Devices. They have two amazing children in eighth grade and 11th grade. They fill their days with swimming, scouting and the general mayhem that is life!
Lauryn Nussbaum ’00 M.S., ’02 Psy.D., and Brian Nussbaum ’00 M.S., ’02 Psy.D.
Lauryn and Brian met and started dating during their first semester of graduate school at Florida Tech. After winning a free lunch in a joke-telling contest at school, Brian asked Lauryn to go to the lunch with him. They’ve been inseparable ever since.
Now, Lauryn and Brian are both working as clinical psychologists in Virginia. They have two kids and a dog. They’ve enjoyed many adventures together and look forward to many more. Florida Tech was the start of great careers and a great family for the couple.
Sarah (Wenzel) Phillips ’02 and Jason Phillips ’02
Sarah and Jason met during orientation week at Florida Tech. They both attended a pledge event, where they canoed down a creek near campus. Jason decided to leave his canoe and swim. For Sarah, it was love at first sight, when she saw this crazy guy climb out of the water. They dated all four years of college and got married in 2004 at a small chapel in Melbourne Beach.
Now, the couple lives in Argyle, Texas. Jason is a captain for American Airlines, and Sarah is a client https://news.fit.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/dr_wiggenhorn1-1.jpg director for a small consulting firm working with specialty food mail-order businesses like Honey Baked Ham, Zingerman’s Mail Order and Jack Stack Barbecue.
Jill (Edwards) Wilson ’06 and Stuart “Stu” Wilson ’09, ’13 MSA
Jill and Stuart met on the second day of the fall semester in 2011. Stu was waiting outside the classroom door (which was locked) for the first day of Aviation Physiology. The rest is history!
Now, Stu is a systems engineer working for a small government contractor supporting aerospace projects, and Jill is the manager of aviation safety for PG&E. The couple got married in 2014 and just celebrated their 10th anniversary. They now reside in California.
2010s
Carolyn (Chabuz) Montes ’14 and Ryan Montes ’13
Carolyn and Ryan met at the Rathskeller one random day and instantly hit it off. While attending Florida Tech, they attended Alpha Phi’s Red Dress Gala together, saw President Barack Obama speak, had study sessions in Evans Library, were both in the Student Government Association and even participated in the talent show that Ryan hosted in 2012. You knew it was love when Carolyn listened to Ryan’s unorthodox radio show.
Now, Carolyn (M.D.) is completing her fellowship in facial plastic surgery at Ohio State University. Meanwhile, Ryan (Ph.D.) is the CEO and co-founder of MicroPure Genomics, an early-stage biotechnology company focused on redefining sample preparation for genetic testing. As they embark on their next chapter, they are preparing to relocate to Southern California to advance their careers, settle down and start a family.
Jessica (Marn) Cosgrove ’17, ’19 M.S., ’23 Psy.D., and Evan Cosgrove ’15, ’20 M.S., ’20 Ph.D.
Jessica and Evan met in their undergraduate years at the PIKE house for a sorority mixer and started dating soon after. The couple got married while in grad school at Florida Tech.
Now, Evan works at MathWorks, and Jessica is a clinical psychologist in the United States Air Force. They welcomed their son in 2024.
Sara Streit ’17 and Pierre Streit ’16
Sara and Pierre met on move-in day at Florida Tech in August 2012. They were friends throughout all their time at Florida Tech, and after they both graduated, they started dating in 2017 (to none of their friends’ surprise) and eloped in February 2018.
Now, Pierre is a captain with Endeavor Air based out of New York, and Sara works as a cytologist for Unified Women’s Healthcare. After graduating, they left Melbourne in 2021, and after a quick 2 years in Memphis, they returned to Florida to live in Tampa, where they currently reside. They spend their free time traveling and trying new things.
Alexus Smith ’19 and Kathleen Maiello ’20
Katie and Alexus met on the softball team at Florida Tech in 2016. The two developed an amazing friendship quickly and bonded over their similar interests, both academically and socially. In 2018, the couple made their relationship official and started dating. They loved to hammock in the Botanical Garden together and go to the beach on their weekends off from sports. The rest is history!
Now, Katie is wrapping up her Ph.D. in organic synthetic chemistry at Tufts University, which she will complete this summer. Currently, she is doing an internship at Vertex Pharmaceuticals on their medicinal chemistry team, and she plans to carry that on into her career as a medicinal chemist. Alexus is a successful biochemist working at Gingko Bioworks in the high throughput screening and automation group. They live in a condo they purchased together in the greater Boston area with their two cats, Loki and Freya. They are engaged and plan to tie the knot soon!
2020s
Lauren-Ann Graham ’20, ’23 M.S., and Andrew Chrustic ’22
As orientation Panther prep leaders at Florida Tech, Lauren and Andrew were paired up in a group round of speed dating to get to know their teammates. The speed dating worked, and the rest is history! Their first date was watching a rocket launch on the beach.
Now, they both actively work in the aerospace industry and are building their new careers together. Their favorite things to do together as a couple are traveling and hiking.
Alexis Evans ’24 and Tony “TJ” Woo Jr. ’23 A.A., ’23
Alexis and TJ met at Panther Dining Hall when Alexis was having breakfast with some classmates and TJ joined his friends at the same table. Alexis found TJ on Instagram a few days later after he attended an event she was hosting. They talked for a while and then had their first date ice skating at the Space Coast Iceplex.
Now, TJ is a first officer at Endeavor Air, and Alexis is a credit analyst at Land ‘N’ Sea Distributing Inc. The couple just celebrated three years of dating!
