Love — that elusive, beautiful feeling people search for their whole lives and only the lucky find. For many couples, Lehigh is where that spark began.
From glances exchanged in class to chance on-campus encounters and even post-grad reconnections, these stories celebrate shared experiences, unexpected connections, and the kind of love worth celebrating this Spouses Day.
Meet the Matches
Maureen “Moe” Rinkunas ’02 MS’04 MBA’14 and Michael Rinkunas ’02 MS’08
Moe and Michael met on freshman move-in day and jokingly describe the beginning of their relationship as a “war of persistence.” Michael, a self-proclaimed nerd, never gave up on Moe, and the two built a strong friendship before they began dating.
Their relationship deepened after Moe returned from studying abroad in England during her junior year. That Christmas, she gave Michael a gift she’d brought back with her: a well-known British photographer's book on trains. The present reflected how well she knew Michael — and just how much she cared.
They married at Packer Memorial and even have a dedicated Lehigh room in their home, decorated in university colors and filled with mementos and references to their time on campus.
“It’s our shared language,” Michael says. “We’re connected to Lehigh in so many ways. It’s been a constant throughout our relationship.”
As two Lehigh engineers, they often build or craft together. Above all, they value creativity and time spent side by side — something made especially evident through their elaborate couples costumes each Halloween.
Karen Knauer ’78 P’05 and Paul Knauer ’76 P’05
Although Karen and Paul both attended Lehigh, they didn’t truly connect until they found themselves working at the same job in Philadelphia. On Karen’s first day, she walked in and recognized a familiar, friendly face in Paul.
Their relationship took off when a coworker of Paul’s was getting married. Sensing the chemistry between them, he encouraged Paul to bring Karen as his plus one. They began dating shortly after.
Paul proposed on New Year’s Eve in 1979 at Karen’s apartment.
“I was actually mad at him because I wanted to go out and celebrate the holiday, but he wanted to stay home that night. I never would’ve guessed why,” Karen laughs.
True to his personality, Paul didn’t have a ring or get down on one knee. The proposal reflected the heart of their relationship: sweet, understated, and genuine. Their love was never about spectacle, but about showing up for one another.
“I’m not always the easiest person to love,” Paul says, as Karen nudges him playfully. “But she takes care of me.”
More than 45 years later, the two are still best friends who do everything together. Lehigh remains deeply woven into their family story — Karen’s father (Donald Talhelm ’59 G’60 P’78 P’81), brother (Kevin Talhelm ’81), and son (Christopher Knauer ’05) all attended the university.
Eva Abeniacar MBA’19 and JJ O’Brien ’16 MS’17
Eva and JJ met at a Friendsgiving in 2017 and instantly hit it off. Frequent dinner dates to some of JJ’s favorite spots in South Bethlehem and a romantic tour of Lehigh’s campus opened the door for JJ to suggest that Eva consider coming to Lehigh for an MBA.
When COVID-19 hit, the two quarantined together. “We never get bored of each other,” JJ says. “Going through that experience solidified my feelings, and I knew she was the one!”
One year into the pandemic, he proposed — and a year later, they were married. They wed in Toledo, Spain, a walled medieval city an hour from where Eva grew up. They even cut their wedding cake with a sword forged by a local Spanish craftsman specifically for their union.
The couple shares a love of fantasy, cosplay, and mushroom foraging, among many other hobbies. One of the strongest bonds between them is a shared commitment to service. Before they met, Eva volunteered with Lehigh Valley Therapy Dogs alongside her yorkie, Maggie. Over time, she encouraged JJ to be a therapy dog handler as well, and now they can be found volunteering together. You may have even met them at the Therapy Dog tent during the past few Lehigh Family Weekend events!
“I think that it’s really sweet that we’ve adopted each other’s hobbies and interests, and it’s definitely strengthened our relationship over time,” Eva says.
The couple now has a daughter, Clare, who just turned one year old. Eva and JJ are excited to share their passions and hobbies with Clare and introduce her to the Lehigh family!
Cassidy Cruz ’17 and Ricardo Prince ’16
Cassidy and Ricardo's love story began on Lehigh’s tennis courts — with one complication: The women’s tennis team had a strict “no dating” rule involving the men’s team. At first, romance wasn’t on either of their minds, but everything changed post-graduation.
After both moved to Philadelphia for work, they started spending time together as friends before realizing their connection was something more.
They married at the Wilbur Mansion in Bethlehem, but they made sure to return to the courts on the eve of their wedding for a celebration.
”It was so fun,” Cassidy says. “We really leaned into the whole ‘this is where we met’ thing. Our friends and family kicked off the weekend playing tennis and pickleball together.”
They honeymooned in South Africa and Zimbabwe, fulfilling Cassidy’s longtime dream of visiting an elephant sanctuary in Africa.
Lauren Vargas Akoto ’19 and Francis Vargas Akoto ’19
Lauren and Francis met at a house party in the first semester of freshman year. From their very first conversation, they sensed something special. Their love story is sweet and old fashioned: They were each other’s first and last partners.
Though complete opposites, they complement each other perfectly. Lauren is analytical and Type A, while Francis is an artistic, Type B soul. What they share is a deep love of learning and traveling the world, which laid the foundation for their relationship.
The two married in 2023 with a small, intimate ceremony. Of course, they made it a point to stop at Lehigh for photos, capturing the place where it all began. The day after their wedding, they moved to Nebraska to start their next chapter.
Now settled there with their pitbull, Lilo, they focus on appreciating life’s small moments.
“We have a really rare relationship,” Lauren shares. “We’re from different sides of the world, and we’re blessed we found each other. Lehigh is so special to us because we met there and grew together.”
Most recently, they went on a trip to Ghana for Francis’s cousin's wedding. Their next adventure will take them to Bermuda to celebrate their birthdays and the 10-year anniversary of when they met.
Betty Trephan ’13 and Tyler Trephan ’14
The first time Betty saw Tyler, she felt as though time slowed.
“It was like a movie,” she says, “It sounds so cliché, but I really was drawn to him immediately.”
Despite that moment, the two didn’t begin dating right away. As members of the same Christian organization on campus, they were casual acquaintances until the summer of 2012. With few people staying on campus for classes, Tyler reached out to Betty. What was meant to be a quick catch-up turned into a two-hour conversation, and they quickly became close friends.
When Tyler finally asked Betty to be his girlfriend, they had slipped away from a bonfire and found themselves standing on a zip line platform.
“I don’t want to compete against you,” he told her. “I want to compete alongside you.”
Grounded in their shared faith, goals, and sense of humor, the two built a strong relationship rooted in mutual respect. When Tyler proposed outside Dravo, Betty’s younger sister captured the special moment from her dorm window.
“Our time at Lehigh was such a period of growth for us both, and we came out stronger because of it,” Betty says. “Our friends helped bring us together. My maid of honor was the one who encouraged me to grab lunch with him that summer. Lehigh brought us together!”
Today, the couple lives on the West Coast, where they continue to pursue their passions. They still make time to come to campus whenever they can. Betty is also currently writing a book inspired by their love story!
Cara Stawicki ’05 and Kyle Stawicki ’05
After meeting at a football game freshman year, Kyle was smitten by Cara.
“I knew I liked her right away,” he says. “I remember looking for her across campus. She had this baby blue backpack, and I’d scan around hoping to spot her.”
That spring, they took an economics class together and became friends. Both accomplished athletes, they bonded over their shared love of sports and spent countless hours supporting one another at games and matches. Cara realized the depth of her feelings as summer break approached.
“I couldn’t stop crying over the fact that we were going to be apart, even though we didn’t live that far away from each other,” she recalls. “I’m not a big crier, so I knew then that we had something special.”
During what Cara believed was a normal walk across campus, Kyle proposed with the receipt from the engagement ring and surprised her with the actual ring a few weeks later. They married in 2008, honeymooned in Cabo, and have continued to love and laugh together ever since.
Not only did Cara’s father, Glenn Skola ’78 P’05 P’06, attend Lehigh, but her sister Erica Skola-Kesilman ’06 and her husband, James Kesilman ’06, also met there!
Reflecting on their relationship, Cara shares, “We created a life around supporting each other. We see each other’s big wins and celebrate them like they’re our own. Everything we do, we do together.”
