I often laugh about that night; how Tyler and Alex just so happened to end up in that suite, how we ended up swimming in the lake even though the water wasn’t warm, how crazy loud we were while walking along the roads throughout campus, and then how just the two of us ended up on the roof of the soccer hut talking until 4 a.m.
The plan was to each write our own version of our “love story” and then somehow combine them to share with everyone. After reading each of our stories, you’ll understand why we want to share them both separately.
Carley’s perspective: I have many great memories from Saturday nights at Saint Joe’s, but there is one Saturday night that stands out far above the rest, maybe because it changed my life forever. On that Saturday night, two guys from the men’s baseball team ended up at a women’s field hockey gathering in one of the suites. Before I knew it, Tyler and I were sitting next to each other on the couch. I had seen him around campus plenty of times and noticed him working at many of our field hockey games. I remember always thinking to myself, “Oh, he is cute and so tall!” Looking back on that night, we had been set up by two of our mutual friends without even knowing it! I should have known, I remember the women on my team gazing at us like something magical was supposed to happen. There aren’t enough words to properly thank our friends and teammates for giving us this opportunity to let love grow. I often laugh about that night; how Tyler and Alex just so happened to end up in that suite, how we ended up swimming in the lake even though the water wasn’t warm, how crazy loud we were while walking along the roads throughout campus, and then how just the two of us ended up on the roof of the soccer hut talking until 4 a.m. The conversation was truly effortless. We literally talked for hours. I remember crawling into bed around five o’clock in the morning, thinking, “How is it possible that I could have had so much fun with someone I hardly know?” As cliché as it may sound, the rest is history. Tyler and I are getting married on July 9th of this year. I couldn’t imagine my life without him; he truly makes me a better person. I am beyond grateful that our experiences at Saint Joe’s brought us together and allowed us to have this life together. It’s a beautiful life.
Tyler’s perspective: It was the fall of 2012 at Saint Joseph’s College. It seemed to me like this was my last opportunity to find someone who wanted the same things as I did. I don’t want to make it seem like I was searching for someone, but I just wanted to have someone to share moments with. This whole story starts with me searching for a work-study job, and I am so happy I did. Next thing I knew, I was announcing field hockey games. There was one game that I will never forget and has changed my life forever. It was a Saturday morning game, and I was looking over the rosters to make sure I wouldn’t mess up any names when someone caught my eye. So, I looked at the roster to see what her name was: #13, Carley Denis. She was having so much fun, but at the same time she was intense and wanted to win more than anyone. I don’t like to say it because it will give her some satisfaction, but she did intimidate me from the moment I first saw her. The way she went about everything on the field was amazing to me. I thought to myself, “Somehow, I need talk to her.” I think most of the credit to us actually hanging out has to go to my roommate and one of her teammates, who constructed the whole plan. This is how it happened: I was just about to get into bed and my roommate said, “Do you want to go hang out with the field hockey girls, they are just downstairs?” At first, I didn’t really want to because there was a long week of classes ahead, but I gave in and said sure, since I’d agreed to go when we talked about it at dinner. When we got down there, she was the first person I saw. I could’ve melted, I was so nervous. We kept our distance, talking to various people we were surrounded by. Then we started to get closer. I started talking to one of her friends who happened to be sitting next to Carley, and then Carley got up, so I was confused. To break the ice, I got up and sat where she had been sitting, which I knew would push her buttons a little and she would have to say something to me. Lucky for me, I was right, and we ended up talking to each other for hours, like no one was around us. If you didn’t know it, you would’ve thought we had been close friends for years. As people started to go to bed, we continued to talk. They kicked us out of their suite, the talking kept going. We made our way out to the soccer field and continued to talk even more. I don’t think I have ever met someone where I wanted one moment to last forever. Since that moment on the soccer field, we have always been there for each other, making each other laugh, and encouraging each other to go for things in life that might scare us. Now, this summer, I’ll marry the woman I officially met one night at Saint Joe’s. I am forever grateful.
It’s crazy to think how one Saturday night on campus can change two peoples lives forever.
Tyler Laverriere, Class of 2013, and Carley Denis, Class of 2014