Vowed Vikings Share Love Stories

Love was in the air…and the Alumni Association celebrated by asking Vikings to share their love stories. A number of Vowed Vikings – alumni couples who found true love at CSU – submitted stories, photos and remembrances of their campus courtships. Couples also celebrated at an Alumni Association-hosted Very Viking Valentine reception at Elements Bistro. Read all Vowed Viking stories in full at csualumni.com

All that jazz

Trina Carrier, BA ’94, and Gerald Carrier, BA ’95
The first day of class: January 1985, Jazz Survey. There was only one empty seat next to me. I saw Gerald when he came in, but his friend sat next to me. The next day Gerald came early and sat next to me. We became instant friends.

We dated for three months, but then broke up because I wasn’t ready to be serious. We stayed best friends for seven years and decided to officially date again in January 1993. We have been together ever since. We married in 1996, have three biological children and have fostered 12 others. Sometimes we feel that we never would have graduated without each other. More on the Carriers…

What friends are for

Mary Gliebe Haritonovich, ’78, and George Haritonovich, BS ’78
It was the birthday of one of my best friends and we were celebrating at the Shire. She brought along a few classmates, including George.

Several months later, we started dating. After I completed grad school and he finished dental school, we married . . . it was only 11 years later! On our 10th anniversary, George sent our friend roses for introducing us! We are all still close friends and get together monthly.

Gone with the wind

Samantha Brady Puterbaugh, BMus ’12, and Kirk Puterbaugh, BSEE ’12
My future husband was my stand partner in CSU Wind Ensemble. My final words to Kirk at the end of our May commencement performance were, “I can’t wait to not see you the rest of the summer!”

Two weeks later, we met for lunch. After a few more meetings (we never called them dates), we really clicked. We tied the knot on June 14, 2014. We are so thankful that CSU brought us together.

In the swim

Rebecca Thiel Tolson, BSEd ’91, and Todd Tolson, BBA ’92
I found the love of my life on the pool deck of Busbey Natatorium. I was awarded a swimming scholarship and had a lifeguarding job, where I met and started to build a relationship with Becky Thiel. Becky graduated in 1991 and moved to Akron for her first job. We had talked about marriage but said it would have to wait until after I finished school. So on the day I took my last exam in 1992, I drove to Akron and proposed. We tied the knot on April 3, 1993 and have two children, Robert and Sarah. Robert is a junior at CSU and a next generation Viking swimmer. We’ve already warned him to watch out — he may have a Vowed Viking story to tell one day.