John and Christine Hall met in an English literature class in fall 1987. Christine assisted John with his writing, and he helped Chris with data entry. A friendship developed and led to a first date at the Milwaukee Public Museum at his company party. Toward the end of their college careers – where they earned degrees in human resource management (Chris) and management information systems (John) – they were engaged. They will be celebrating their 35th anniversary in May 2026.
Mike and Alana met in 2002, during their junior year in the Medical Laboratory Science program at UWM. They often shared a laboratory bench, sat side by side in lectures and were even assigned to the same clinical rotation site. What started as a partnership in learning flourished into something deeper. By graduation in 2004, it was clear they weren’t just good lab partners, but life partners. They married in 2006. Twenty years later, their careers reflect both shared beginnings and distinct interests. Mike, drawn to leadership, now oversees the transfusion and transplantation labs at Versiti. Alana, after years in microbiology, shifted to flow cytometry in an immunology lab at Children’s Wisconsin. Today, they live in southeastern Wisconsin and enjoy spending time with their three children, Bryn, Elle and Reid.
Yi-Chen (Kelly) Chen and Li-Chih Tsai met through the Taiwanese Student Association at UWM. Kelly was beginning her dual master’s degree in electrical and computer engineering, and Li-Chih was pursuing his Ph.D. in biomedical and health informatics. A fall road trip to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with friends sparked their connection. After many shared home-cooked dinners and plenty of fro-yo dates, that connection soon grew into love. Since graduating in December 2025, Kelly and Li-Chih are now navigating the next chapter together as they pursue job opportunities across the U.S.
Jason and Katie met in November 2006 at a Business Scholars Program meeting when Jason borrowed Katie’s pencil to sign in. That evening, Jason visited a friend in Sandburg Hall who lived one floor below Katie. When Katie recognized Jason as the pencil-borrower from earlier that day, the two struck up a conversation. Jason and his friend were heading to an off-campus house and asked if Katie wanted to join. At the gathering, Jason and Katie spent four hours talking, and by the end of the night, Jason looked at her and said, “This could work.” And it did. The two bonded over shared interests, similar family dynamics and ambitious goals. Jason graduated in 2010, Katie in 2011. They married in 2012 and will celebrate 20 years of dating this November. have two daughters, Emma and Nora. Jason is senior vice president and corporate banking director at Old National Bank, while Katie is a stay-at-home mom, active on their schools’ PTO board and serving as a makeover concierge for Special Spaces Wisconsin.
Keisha and Corey Willis-Williams first met at UWM in a Sociology of Law class, always sitting on the same side of the room. Corey remembers thinking Keisha was cute with her hair in a bun, quietly catching his eye. Her intelligence drew him in even more. Keisha was reserved but intentional with her time and energy. Eventually, Corey proved himself worthy. After a game of spades, a friendship formed, then slowly blossomed into love. Seven years later, they are inseparable and very happily married.
It all started in a 2006 history class, but the real spark happened a semester later when Sarah and Danny unknowingly moved in next door to each other on Murray Avenue. Daily greetings on the way to class turned into lakefront walks and jogs, which eventually blossomed into a lifelong bond. They went from classmates to neighbors to married best friends. Danny is a sport club supervisor at UWM Recreation, and enjoys working with the students and clubs. Sarah is an assistant coach for the MATC men's and women's soccer teams and physical education and wellness teacher at the college.
Carlos and Brenda met at a Latinx Student Union meeting when she was a freshman and he was a sophomore. They hit it off right away remained friends through college while leading busy lives, with Carlos balancing work and school and Brenda being a student athlete. Each was the other’s support system. They knew from the beginning they would be in each other’s lives forever, and their college journey solidified that. The pair started dating in 2019, and both moved to Chicago for work. They married in 2022, two days before Valentine’s Day (happy anniversary!). Carlos and Brenda have a real estate investment company where they purchase homes all across Wisconsin, but their strong preference is their old stomping grounds – Milwaukee.
Nicole and Michael Prowley first met in the basement of the Sandburg Hall North Tower in 2010 because they were acquaintances within the creative arts living learning community. They didn't even live on the floor, but the living learning community quickly became a home away from home. They got married in 2019 and then sailed off to the Bahamas with the sailing charter company they started. They recently moved back to Milwaukee, sold the boat and are now setting roots here, excited for the whatever is to come in this next chapter.
Meet eight couples whose love stories all share a common thread – their time at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.
In honor of Valentine’s Day, we asked couples to share their stories with us — how they met and what made them for fall each other. From meeting in the Sandburg residence hall to catching each other’s eye in lecture halls, these couples found more than an education at UWM — they found true love!
