At Lehigh, we celebrate love all year long. Whether it’s Le-Laf love, Spouses Day, or Valentine’s Day, there’s no shortage of connections to commemorate. Claudia Hanover ’20 MA’21 and Ally McGrath ’22 M.Ed.’23’s relationship is one of them.
Hanover, a lacrosse player, had a mutual friend in McGrath’s sorority who introduced them. The two met, quickly hit it off, and spent as much time as they could together.
Just two weeks later, the pandemic shut campus down. In a moment defined by uncertainty, they became a constant in each other’s lives.
From phone dates to Zoom calls and movie nights watched side by side from separate screens, their early relationship was a source of hope in an otherwise isolating time.
“With distance between us, we got creative,” Hanover says. “We made PowerPoints about ourselves and shared them with each other. I remember Ally did hers about being a terrible driver, and it was so funny. We made each other laugh and became a bright spot for one another.”
That connection carried into park dates and long conversations on screened-in porches before they officially began dating that August. From there, their relationship continued to grow.
“Claudia continues to show me the type of person she is every day,” McGrath says. “She’s always showing up. She’s loyal and kind. It’s evident in how she treats everyone around her.”
Their relationship is filled with stories they treasure. One of their favorites happened during a wine tasting at an intimate restaurant. The five-course meal paired each dish with a different glass of wine. At one point, Hanover became convinced her wine glass was plastic and squeezed it, sending shards across the table and drawing the attention of everyone in the room. They still laugh about it, describing the moment as a microcosm of their relationship: unexpected, imperfect, and full of humor.
Six years later, they look back on their story as something that feels almost fated — and not just because they met on a Leap Day, though they still get a kick out of that detail.
Today, they spend their time trying new restaurants, sipping good wine, and savoring the quiet moments of everyday life. And through it all, they keep laughing together.
Swipe through the gallery to see more alumni couples whose stories started here.
In This Image: Maura Harte Campbell ’24 and Ben Bowman ’25's engagement, featuring their corgi, Pumpkin
In This Image: Stephanie Cisneros ’13 and Trace Cisneros ’13
In This Image: Tyler Adelson ’08 and Jordan Adelson ’08
In This Image: Liv O’Donnell ’20 and Tom Galow ’19
In This Image: Lindsey Coyle ’16 and Tyler Coyle ’15 with their family at a Lehigh game
In This Image: Lucas King ’22 and Isabelle King ’22
In This Image: Stella Buckley ’22 & Noah Backman ’22
