In February we put the call out for UMPI Couples to tell us their stories and the response was amazing. We shared the stories submitted by our owl couples on our UMPI Alumni Facebook Page and have added them here for permanent display.
Couples appear in the order in which they were posted to Facebook. Hovering your mouse over (desktop/laptop) or touching with your finger (mobile) on most photos will let you take a look back in time to when each couple attended UMPI. Enjoy!
Ed '91 and Theresa (Keaton) Dube '91
“We met September 22, 1988, UMPI Homecoming Weekend at the Bon Fire. We’ve been happily married for 28 years.”
Matthew '09 and Becky (Turgeon) Dubay '09
“My wife and I first met while attending UMPI in September 2005. I, Matt Dubay, was born and raised in Lincoln, Maine. My wife, Becky (Turgeon) Dubay, was born and raised in Fredericton, New Brunswick. We started dating in March of 2006 and the rest is history! After graduating we moved to Fredericton. We got married in 2014, and now have 2 children, born in 2015 and 2017!” – Matt
Amanda '13 and Dustin Chambers
“My husband (Dustin) and I met in January of 2010. I lived in Merriam Hall on the 3rd floor and was coming back from break, lugging my stuff up to my room when this guy in a bomber jacket and sunglasses asked if I needed help. Oddly enough, he knew where my room was. My roommate then introduced him as her little brother. Three days later we were dating, two years later we were married and a year after that we had our son. I am forever grateful for the boy standing by the elevator.” – Amanda (Harrop) Chambers ’13
PS. “I am almost done my MSW and plan to continue my work with children and family counseling here in The County”
Ed '74 and Cathy Worcester Marshall '74
“(We) had HPER classes as freshmen and sophomores. Started dating in the intercession of junior year, graduated May 19, 1974, and married on June 1, 1974. Lived in Madawaska where Ed taught P.E. for 36 years, Cathy taught P.E. in Van Buren and then taught elementary education in Sinclair and retired a teaching principal. Ed and Cathy now live in Lakeland FL, have three children and feel very blessed.” – Ed and Cathy
Matt '08 and Julie (Wescott) Petrie '08.
Matt Petrie and Julie Wescott met at UMPI in Fall of 2004 and graduated in Spring of 2008. Married on August 2, 2014.
Both Matt and Julie are P.E teachers in midcoast Maine:
Matt is at Thomaston grammar school and is also a varsity soccer coach. Julie is a Health and P.E teacher at Mt. Ararat High School and a varsity field hockey and basketball coach.
Matt and Julie have identical twin girls, Addyson and Kamryn, who turned 3 in September.
“Julie did Matt’s smelly laundry after his soccer practice, became friends over the years taking classes together and hanging with mutual friends. Started dating senior year and have been together ever since!” -Julie
Robin '78 and Jerry Rohrer
“Jerry & I didn’t meet at UMPI but met 4 years before when we were 15! But we began our lives together, married in ‘75 while attending UMPI & Jerry was stationed at Loring! We loved our classes with Mr. Lothrop & Dr. Forbes! I graduated in ‘78 & we moved back to Ohio! Still married 44 years and treasure our fun days at UMPI!” – Robin
Will Eldredge '83 and Tammy Hall Eldredge '80
“We both met while attending UMPI, began dating in 1980, and have been together since.
Despite growing up in Maine we have lived primarily in NH since 1983 where we got married in 1985.
We originally lived in Concord but have been in Merrimack since 1993.
We enjoy spending many summer weekends at our camp on Androscoggin Lake in Leeds, ME.
Will has worked in Massachusetts as a Software Quality Assurance Engineer for almost 30 years.
Tammy was an early-childhood educator for almost 20 years and most recently has worked as a daytime caregiver for a young adult with special needs.
We have a daughter Christine aged 25 who works in an Early Education Center and a grand dog Tucker.” – Will and Tammy
John Pawlik '07 Robyn (Gardiner) Pawlik '06
John Pawlik 2007 Robyn (Gardiner) Pawlik 2006: “John and I met on the first day of freshman orientation in August 2001. We both had Dr. Bonnie White for our advisor and hit it off that very first day. We celebrate 17 years of marriage in August of this year.” – Robyn
Tabitha Caron '12 and Sam Portera '13
“Sam and I met at UMPI in 2009…well, the first time. The first time was in a freshman psychology class, we didn’t know we knew each other so met for the second time which we thought was the first time in 2011 in the lounge in Emerson. He wanted someone to watch the premiere of a show with him so invited my roommate who dragged me along. It took a few years for us to realize we had actually already met. We are celebrating our wedding this November as well as our 8 year anniversary. UMPI is a huge part of our story!” – Tabitha
Roshan and Misti Paudel
“Roshan and I met as freshman in the fall of 1998 and fell in love very quickly. While we ended up transferring to another University in our senior year, UMPI is where our story began. We have been married for 17 years.” – Misti Paudel
Emily (Bartlett) '12 and Matt Blodget
“My Husband and I met through a mutual friend during my junior year. I was working on my bachelor’s degree and he was taking a few business classes. We dated for two years before I left for Colorado to study veterinary medicine. Four more years of a long distance relationship and graduating with my doctorate in veterinary medicine from Colorado State University, we are now happily married and living in central Maine.” – Emily (Bartlett) Blodget ’12
Rachel (Larlee) '04 and Jeremy Bousquet
“Jeremy and Rachel met at UMPI in 2000. They were married in 2008. The Bousquet’s have been foster parents for the past 6 years and are fostering two children now. Both have many great memories at UMPI, and UMPI will always hold a special place for them.” – Rachel ’04
Chad '12 and Allison (MacDonald) Phillips '13
“Chad began at UMPI in ’07 and I started in ’09. He had his friends and girlfriend and I was a freshman finding my way. He played golf and club hockey, I played volleyball and attended all hockey games. It took 1.5 years of being acquaintances, then close friends, and I actually tried to help him get back with his ex-girlfriend before we truly started dating. We had 2 weddings, one very small redneck one and then the ‘big one’ where many of our fellow alumni joined us in Antigonish, Nova Scotia for our wedding day. We are 5 years into marriage with 2 kids and wouldn’t change a thing.”
-Allison
Ben '11 and Maryl Costello '12
Ben (from Old Town, Maine) and Maryl (from Fort Fairfield, Maine) met at UMPI in the Fall of 2008. They both played soccer here at UMPI and began dating in 2009. Ben graduated in 2011 with a degree in athletic training, and Maryl in 2012 with a degree in fitness and wellness. In July 2016, Ben and Maryl got married. Currently, Ben and Maryl are both nurses at Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, ME. Maryl is a nurse in the ICU and Ben is a nurse in the ER.
Alan '87 and Lisa Gordon
“Lisa and I met during my junior year at UMPI (1986) and became “Best Friends” in the coming years. We did not start dating until I returned to Presque Isle in 1990 and accepted my current position as Instructor of Physical Education and Coach. We were engaged the following summer and were married in 1993 (celebrating our wedding reception in the newly constructed UMPI Campus Center) We have now spent the last 28 years at UMPI together raising our son Joshua (22) and being extremely grateful that UMPI was the connection that brought us both together so many years ago. I have been so lucky to have spent the last 28 years celebrating Valentine’s Day with the Love of my Life here on the UMPI campus.” – Alan Gordon ’87
