Sharing #WildcatLove on Valentine’s Day!

Clay Mason ‘82 and Jane Gehringer Mason ‘82

We met as resident advisors in the North Campus courtyard in August 1980. I was at Holmes and Jane was at Jewell. Being the assistant head resident, I “called dibs” on the cute blonde when our staff met. 42 years later, we are still together. This photo was taken at in the lobby of Jewell at the North Campus Spring Formal in 1981.

Jeff Neiheisel ’92 and Carol Soehner Neiheisel ’92

Jeff and I met freshman year in 1988 at a Phi Sig/Sigma Pi party. My group of girls met up with a bunch of guys that were “friends of friends.” It wasn’t until fall of 1989 when Jeff asked me on our first “official date” to the Phi Sigma Kappa Fall dance. We shared so many great times on campus with all our friends – most of which we still keep in contact with! We were married in 1994 after I finished my MBA and when Jeff was in law school. We now have two daughters that attend UK (and hopefully, our son will too after high school)! It has been really fun and surreal to be able to share those memories with the next generation of Wildcats who are making their own memories in the same places we fell in love. Thanks, UK for being a wonderful place then and now!

Jamie Huggins ’93, ‘95 and Angela Adkins Huggins ‘96 

We met at Buffalo Wild Wings and Sudsy’s on Limestone on January 19, 1995. We went for a date the following week and haven’t been apart since. We will celebrate our 25th wedding anniversary this August. Our daughter is a freshman at UK and her twin brother is a diehard UK fan but attends USF. 

Mike and Tonya Allen

We met in the old student Center waiting in line for Long John Silver’s. We have been inseparable since that time. We’re going on 26 years married and together for almost 29.

Michael King ’97, ’01, ’12 and Jennifer King ’97, ’98, ’09

Michael and I met our sophomore year in Memorial Hall right before an exam. We had similar friend groups that would hang out during our free time. When Michael moved into my apartment complex, we started spending time together aside from the friend group. Love blossomed in October 1995! We have been married almost 24 years and have 5 children.

Dave Buszkiewicz ’02 and Kelly O’Bryan Buszkiewicz ’02

“I was heading to my social work practicum and he was walking to his music class. As I walked by he said, “She’s going!” I knew exactly what he meant and said, “Yes, I am!” We knew instantly we were both going to a Phish concert that night in Cincinnati. I can’t explain how we knew—we just understood each other in those few words. We walked together for a few minutes, had a brief conversation and then went our separate ways. We would run into each other around campus at various events throughout the year and eventually started dating. We both saved our ticket stubs from the concert and graduated from UK in 2002. We have been married almost 18 years and have two children.”

Ryan Smith ’05 and Jill Holloway Smith ’05, ‘11

Ryan and I busted through the hoop as we were introduced as Mr. & Mrs. at our wedding reception!

Ben Millay ’11, ’14 and Emily Beeman Millay ’12

“We originally met in undergrad as I was finishing up volunteer hours for my degree and he was getting ready to go to PT school. Not thinking anything more than a cute guy, we went our separate ways. Fast forward three years after he finished grad school, we ended up working at the same PT clinic where our friendship grew. He took a new job and moved to Arizona, but we stayed in touch through the mutual love of Kentucky football and basketball. When he moved home, we went on our first date to Red River Gorge and the rest is history! Six years, two dogs, one toddler and a baby on the way! He even rocked a UK bow tie at our wedding!”

Jarrod Willis ’12, ’13 and Jordan Willis ’16

They met as mining engineering undergrads. She was a freshman and he was a senior. He coached the intramural flag football team and she was his recruit. As fate would have it, he decided to stay at UK and get his MBA and then a job in Lexington while she finished her degree. She landed a job in Lexington where they stayed until 2017. Then a job opportunity brought a move to Texas where they bought a house and got engaged. It was only fitting that a wedding should happen in Lexington so back they came in 2018. Two fur babies and a toddler later, they are now in Oklahoma awaiting their next adventure.

Sara-Elizabeth Bush ‘13

Love can take on many forms. My love story is about the strong women in my life. Upon arriving at UK ADPi, it was undeniable that a friendship was budding with these wonderful ladies. Throughout college, National Championships, careers, moves, weddings, babies, sickness and in health, these women are the pillars of true friendship. When I think about my time at UK, the biggest blessing is walking away with these lifelong relationships.

Kevin Richardson ’16, ’18 and Shannon Vinci ’15, ‘17

Kevin and Shannon beginning their college years at UK in the fall of 2011. They both lived in the Kirwan/Blanding Complex in south campus, which happened to be shaped like a heart. Through their years at UK, they became acquainted through mutual friends studying at the library and going to Pazzo’s Pizza for Pint Nights on Wednesdays. In 2016, the lovebirds officially started dating and would go on many adventures together before getting engaged in September 2021. After moving to Dublin, Ohio, the following month, the couple insisted on taking engagement photos back where it all started: on UK’s campus. They will be tying the knot in September 2022!

Jonathan West ’18 and Claire Waggoner West ‘18

Jonathan and I met in the fall of 2015 as he transferred to UK from community college. He is from Knox County and I am from Marshall County, nearly six hours apart! We were both majoring in Agricultural Education and immediately became friends. We spent our entire sophomore year at UK getting to know each other and built a strong friendship. In the summer of 2016, we both were chosen as Cooperative Extension interns through UK. We spent more time together at orientation and intern meet-ups although the offices we worked in were nearly three hours apart. In the fall of 2016, it was hard to deny we were meant to be! We scheduled nearly every class together, worked together on group lessons teaching agriculture at local elementary schools and enjoyed our sorority/fraternity events. As senior year approached, we were both selected to student teach abroad in Australia! We represented UK with three other students and explored the outback together. Jonathan proposed in December of 2018 at Commonwealth Stadium and our wedding was in Bowling Green in July of 2019. Now living in Springfield, we are still avid UK fans and season ticket holders for UK basketball. We love Lexington and the University of Kentucky and are so thankful for our time as Wildcats!

Michael Lacy ’19 and Jamie Henley ’20

“There’s so much about UK and the city of Lexington that I love but it’s how my future was forever changed by signing up for Accounting 101 in the Spring of 2017. Little did I know my soon-to-be husband was sitting just three rows behind me. We finally introduced ourselves when we ran into each other at Keeneland on College Scholarship Day of that same semester. We spent our time together as Wildcats supporting one another at fraternity formals, UK Equestrian Team Competitions, studying and taking more classes, and enjoying every second we could together and with friends during our time in college. I was lucky to see Michael walk across the graduation stage in May 2019 and he was there to see my ceremony in 2021 when I came back to walk across the stage a year after my actual graduation date due to COVID postponements.

We got engaged in February 2020 at the same spot we met at on the Keeneland grounds. Being UK alumni is amazing but having it be such an important and impactful part of our story is even better. We are getting married this March and are excited to include some of our favorite UK traditions in our wedding! Our blood will forever be blue, and I will always be grateful to have registered for ACC 101 that semester.”

Adam Soto ’20 and Hannah Frickman ’18

We met at one of his fraternity parties! We started dating my sophomore year and his junior year. I was even his fraternity’s sweetheart. I remember spending so many late nights together at Willy T. and days tailgating for UK football and basketball games. We have been together for the last 5 years. He proposed at Keeneland and we got to celebrate the whole weekend in Lexington. Our very cute golden retriever Crew got to be part of the day, too. We are getting married June 2023!