It’s almost Valentine’s Day, and love is in the air at the Capstone, where countless couples have met, fallen in love and even tied the knot over the years. Here are a few UA love stories to keep you warm in mid-February.
The Millers
In January of 2014, the state of Alabama experienced a major snow event, often referred to as “Snowpocalypse.” As a Texas girl, Sonny Franks was not accustomed to snow. But by the time her 8 a.m. class dismissed, students had made their way to the snowy Quad, including her boyfriend, Ryan Miller. They played in the snow on the Quad and then headed to El Rincon on the Strip.
Sonny had met Ryan when she needed a date to her Gamma Phi sorority formal, and her Ridgecrest East RA suggested his good friend and roommate. “The rest is history,” Sonny said.
The Millers now live in Ryan’s home state of Michigan and currently have over a foot of snow in their yard. They have been together for 11 years now, married in 2020, and live in a lakeside beach town with a dog named Louie. Ryan is a product engineer at a major aerospace supplier and Sonny leads corporate communications for a global automotive supplier.
“We have so many friends from UA all over the world who keep us busy traveling to weddings, medical school graduations, baby showers, and the like,” Sonny said. “We’re very lucky to have found each other so early on, and we have UA to thank for it!”
The Baxters
Ben Baxter met Alyson Finley when they shared a second semester advanced English class. Ben cracked a joke, Alyson laughed, and then they didn’t speak to each other again until two and a half years later, when Ben was invited to a video game night that Alyson was hosting in Rose Towers dormitory. The two shared a controller, and sparks flew. “Unlike in English class, we’ve been talking to each other every day since that game night,” Ben said.
Ben proposed to Alyson at Denny Chimes by getting their closest friends to act out a skit he wrote. Later that night, Ben and those same friends threw Alyson a surprise birthday party.
The Baxters are married now with two daughters. Alyson immediately started working for the University while in graduate school, and she now serves as assistant vice president for Finance and Operations Shared Administrative Services. Ben worked in industry for several years as an engineer, and started working for the University just under two years ago as a productivity engineer at the Alabama Productivity Center.
The Nelsons
Brothers Rand and Zach Nelson each met their wives, Carolyn Churchill and Sarah Leech, years apart at the University when all were resident advisors at Mary Burke Hall. Rand and Carolyn connected in 2010, making rounds together twice a night. “Okay, we’re RA partners. What are you going to do to keep me entertained?” Carolyn teased. The two weathered the Tuscaloosa tornado of 2011. “Our relationship seemed to change and deepen after the tornado,” Rand remarked. “She teases me to this day that I didn’t ask how she was doing after the storm passed through. In a huge fail moment, I asked her how her friend was doing instead!”
A few years later, Zach and Sarah met, also at an RA training. “It went from simple conversations to standing outside the girl’s elevator for a couple of hours getting to know one another,” Zach recalled. He remembers working part-time as a property coordinator for a local real estate company. The day before their first date, Zach had inspected a property with fleas, and his car became infested. “I bought some flea killer, soaked my Corolla, and prayed they would be gone by that evening,” he recalled. No dice: the fleas were unconquered. That night, on the way to the car, he looked at her and said, “My car smells like cinnamon and oranges. Please don’t ask.” Sarah didn’t ask, but Zach told her anyway. The two were married within the year, in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Rand and Carolyn have four children, and are both teachers at American Christian Academy. Rand teaches Bible and coaches wrestling, while Carolyn teaches government and economics as well as AP government. Zach and Sarah live in Moundville, where Zach serves a local church and Sarah stays at home with their two sons. “We spend less time on campus now than we did when we met, but we love going back for games so the boys can see their favorite mascot, Big Al!” Sarah said.
The Bennetts
Branson Bennett met Meagan Bryant when he was a sophomore at UA, and she was a senior in high school. “I like to joke that we’re in an arranged marriage,” Meagan said. “I am an only child, with two older male cousins and they are very protective over me. My cousin introduced me to his fraternity brother, my now husband.” Their first date was the 2008 Alabama versus Western Kentucky Hilltoppers football game.
After Meagan joined Branson at UA, their relationship developed during game days, fraternity and sorority date parties, tailgating, and honors week. But the best memory was their wedding in Smith Hall in August of 2013. “I remember the day I walked across University Boulevard in my wedding dress,” Meagan said.
Meagan works at the Capstone as assistant vice president, strategic communications, while Branson is a senior process preconstruction manager for Clayco. The Bennetts love to bring their daughter back to campus. A new family tradition is visiting Santa at the University Club in December.