Students go into college expecting their lives to be different when they have finished. They leave with new friends, experiences and a college degree that will help them with their future careers. However, some alumni from Binghamton University left with more than they could have asked for: a lifelong partner to marry and raise a family with. Here are some of the couples who were lucky enough to meet their future spouse while at BU.

Steven Lillianthal, ‘86 and Adina Klein Lillianthal, ‘86

Steven met his future wife Adina when he was a sophomore in the fall of 1983. Adina was a freshman at the time and they both lived in Bingham Hall. They had many mutual friends and spent a lot of time together hanging out in dorm rooms, going to parties at the dining hall and jamming out to classic ’80s music including The Smiths. In March of 1985 at a St. Patrick’s Day party, Steven realized he had feelings for Adina. They went on their first date in May of that year and soon after became an official couple. They made it through long summer breaks apart with Adina writing letters to Steven and Steven driving long hours to take Adina on dates in the city. They both lived off campus the following year, and Steven always made sure that Adina never walked to and from his place alone.

“It was the best experience to have a boyfriend who would do anything for you,” Adina said.

Steven graduated in the spring of 1986 with a political science degree. Adina graduated in December that same year with an art history degree — she graduated early so she could be with Steven more often. They got married on Oct. 15, 1988 and had three children. Steven has since passed away, but Adina is so thankful for the time she had with her husband and that BU brought them together.

Scott Berman, ‘93, and Nicole Berman, ‘96.

In the fall of 1992, Scott complimented a woman’s dress, not knowing that the woman would one day end up being his wife. Scott was a senior studying business administration and Nicole was a freshman majoring in accounting. Nicole was living in Bingham Hall at the time and knew many people from Scott’s fraternity, Tau Epsilon Phi. They ended up meeting again at a party during the spring semester of 1993. Scott’s fraternity was hosting a blind date party, and he invited Nicole as his date. The men had to give their dates a hat, and Nicole remembers the big, floppy, colorful hat that Scott gave her to wear. She wasn’t in love with the hat, but she did fall in love with Scott. Scott graduated in 1993, while Nicole still had a few more years of school.

“I remember when I started dating him, I talked to my mom about it, and she said, ‘Well he’s a senior anyway, he’ll be gone in a few months,’” Nicole said. “But he’s still around, for over 20 years now.”

After Scott graduated, he and Nicole were able to make the long-distance relationship work. He was living in New York and took the bus to visit Nicole and all of their friends at BU. They also spent a lot of time off campus together, including a backpacking trip to Europe in the summer of 1993. Nicole graduated in 1996, and they eventually got married. They now live in Morristown, New Jersey with their two children.

Shon Glusky, ‘95, and Stefanie Glusky, ‘96.

Stefanie was a freshman when she met her future husband, Shon, at a Tau Epsilon Phi fraternity party. Shon was a sophomore at the time majoring in political science, and Stefanie was majoring in psychology. That year, they both lived in Newing College and had mutual friends that kept them in touch. Shon graduated in 1995, and Stefanie a year later in 1996. Both of them continued their education after graduating — Shon went to law school for three years, earning his Juris Doctor, and Stefanie got her master’s degree in elementary education, so they finished their schooling at the same time. In the fall of 1998, they both happened to move into the same building in New York City. Shon had talked to Stefanie’s soon-to-be roommate at a party hosted by a mutual friend from BU. Her roommate told Shon to stop by and visit their place after they moved in, which he did, and he and Stefanie have been together ever since.

“Even though we didn’t date at [BU], I love that we have that connection,” Stefanie said. “We clearly have similar friends and experiences.”

Shon and Stefanie were married in August of 2001, surrounded by family and their BU friends who they still keep in touch with. They currently live in Armonk, New York with their two daughters.