Meet the Trifectas
Kelly Wardlow '01 '03G '27P and Kevin Wardlow '03 '27P
Kelly and Kevin met at a game night they had both attended for one reason: the air conditioning units in Taylor Hall. Their mutual friend, Anthony Shave ’02, introduced them, and they soon became casual friends through the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) club.
Three months later, Kevin sent Kelly a Christmas card. Inside, he wrote several thoughtful things about her as a person. The words made Kelly start looking at him a little differently. As their friendship deepened, so did their faith. Their involvement with FCA helped shape their shared values, and they quickly realized they wanted many of the same things from life.
Their first date was in February 2000. In September 2001, they got engaged at Kevin’s apartment, right on the edge of campus. They married in June 2002, just after Kevin graduated. Packer Memorial Church was filled with family, friends, and the professors who had championed them throughout their time at Lehigh.
“Lehigh will always have such a big place in our hearts and, because of the trifecta, it’s a huge part of who we are,” Kelly says. “So much of our lifetime decisions happened on campus. We met there, became Christians, learned to be adults, and found a community there.”
Together, Kelly and Kevin have four children, and they’ve brought their family back to Lehigh many times over the years. Their oldest daughter, Mackenzie Wardlow ’27, followed in her parents’ footsteps and attended Lehigh. When they first dropped her off on campus, they spent time reminiscing and pointing out places that had since been renamed or transformed.
One of their other daughters is concurrently enrolled at Lafayette, creating a good-natured rivalry — and the occasional dilemma for Kelly over which school merchandise to wear when she’s in the area.
Janice Rapp ’22 and Eddie Gardiner ’19 MS’26
Eddie was a senior and manager of the Marching 97 when Janice was just entering the band as a freshman. Although they didn’t start dating until after Eddie graduated, they were always in each other’s orbit. From band performances to weekly late-night gatherings, they always enjoyed spending time together.
Cut to Janice’s senior year. Her involvement with the Marching 97 had grown, and she eagerly mentored incoming freshmen. She was also consistently involved with Flames, casual trips to away games so the band could have a presence beyond campus.
When Janice was preparing to travel for the Flame to the University of Pennsylvania, she mentioned that she needed someone to drive the box truck full of instruments. Eddie volunteered. He drove while Janice rode shotgun, and the trip gave them even more time to get to know each other.
Eddie was also struck by Janice’s genuine interest in things outside her usual sphere. After he attended EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, the world’s largest annual airshow, he met Janice at Roasted when he returned to town. Although she wasn’t an aviation enthusiast, she wanted to hear all about the trip. Her attentiveness and curiosity stayed with him.
They started dating in July 2021 and have been inseparable ever since.
In April 2025, Eddie planned to propose on Janice’s birthday. But the ring’s late arrival forced him to pivot to May. Eddie was in graduate school at Lehigh at the time, so he used campus to his advantage.
He asked Janice to visit him in Bethlehem after her family’s Phillies game that Saturday, telling her they could stop at Roasted. When they drove past the restaurant, Janice was confused. Eddie explained that he needed to pick something up at his office in Packard Laboratory. She quickly realized, however, that they were walking in the wrong direction.
When they reached Packer Memorial Church, she knew what was happening.
Eddie proposed, telling Janice in his speech, “We’re a team, and I want to keep being on your team the rest of my life.”
The couple is set to marry on campus in October, and they couldn’t be happier.
“We can’t overstate enough how important being in the ’97 was for all of our Lehigh relationships,” Janice says. “It helped us in every way, with our friendships and our relationship, as well as our friends’ relationships. The band director from our time at Lehigh, David Diggs, is even coming to our wedding. The arts connect us, and they’re really important to us.”
Jessica E. Leo ’09 and Jason Leo ’09
Jessica was working part time at Lehigh’s Athletics Department when her brother, Josh Armbruster, was serving as the football team’s full-time equipment manager. Josh and Jason were friends through the team, so he decided to introduce them.
They hit it off right away.
Before they knew it, they were on a date. Though they’d only recently met, it felt as if they had known each other for years. They spent the evening bowling, laughing, and beginning something special. After that night, there wasn’t a day when they weren’t together.
“We've never run out of things to say or ways to have fun together,” Jessica says.
The two started dating in February 2007. Four years later on their anniversary, they got engaged at the Lookout at Lehigh.
“It was freezing that night, but we got out of the car anyway to take in the city lights,” Jessica says. “That's when he got down on one knee and proposed. I was overjoyed, and it meant even more knowing he'd picked a spot that was so special to us both.”
They got married in June 2012. Next February, they’ll celebrate 20 years together.
“If it weren't for Lehigh, we never would have met,” Jessica says. “Once we got engaged on campus, there was no question we'd get married at Packer Chapel. We had a beautiful day celebrating with family and friends, including so many of our Lehigh friends.”
Now, their Lehigh story is becoming a family tradition of its own. Jessica and Jason have two daughters, both of whom hope to attend Lehigh one day. The family returns to campus together whenever they can and goes to as many football games as possible. Along the way, Jessica and Jason take time to introduce their daughters to the places and traditions that have been part of their parents’ story from the very beginning.
