Anastasia fell in love for the first time at 16 years old while working behind the scenes in her school’s theater department.

When her older coworker asked her — a mere sophomore at the time — to the junior/senior prom, how could she refuse? After a date at Wendy’s to “practice” for prom, the pair knew they had a connection. By summer, they were a couple. 

Now a senior in college, Anastasis still thinks about him from time to time. 

“I don’t think I really want to date again unless they treat me the way he did. Unless somebody can like me, and love me, and respect me all at the same time. Since we’ve broke up, I haven’t been with anyone who’s managed to do all three at the same time.”

— Anastasia Simms, senior english and psychology major 

In high school, Adrienne went to the same beach for vacation every year. Three years in a row, Adrienne saw her first love. 

During their first encounter on an elevator, neither spoke. The next year, he joined her family’s beach volleyball game. After their third shared vacation, Adrienne left the beach with a boyfriend. 

“I typically wouldn’t be the one to think I’m in love with someone right away, but I don’t know if it was the beach or the midnight walks by the ocean. It was a totally different vibe, like straight from a movie.”

— Adrienne Bundy, junior fashion design minor

Something extraordinary happened in Alana’s ordinary small town when a tall exchange student from Denmark walked into her sophomore English class. The pair hit it off quickly but assumed their love story had an expiration date: Joe’s return to Denmark.

Seven years later, they are still together and are united as Kent State students.

“We just kind of played it by ear. We didn’t know what life was ahead of us. We kind of just had fun… It’s kind of fun when you each other every three months. That one week you’re just thrilled seeing each other again.”

— Alana Williams, nutrition and dietetics graduate student

As college students, many expect to meet interesting people at frat parties among the pounding music and sweaty bodies, but most don’t expect to meet their first love. 

However, this is where Faye first encountered her current boyfriend, Luke. 

Two years later, she still loves him for the same reasons he caught her eye.

“He’s just such a positive force that I’m honestly so inspired by. His perspective is just so beautiful. He just loves life, and I want to be like that as much as a I can.

— Faye Fahsbender, senior psychology pre-med major

Izzy fell in love in eighth grade. At least, that’s what she thought the perilous fall of feelings felt like. 

After a shared dance at the Valentine’s Day bash, a quick “Will you be my girlfriend?” and a love letter sent through the school’s Valentine delivery system, Izzy had secured herself a boyfriend. 

Until middle school graduation, when the couple was separated by different high schools and doomed to never see each other again. 

“He wrote ‘I love you’ in the letter a couple times, and my teacher made him erase it. But I think he gave another to me later anyway.”

— Izzy Schreck, sophomore journalism major

Jenna Bal is a campus editor. Contact her at [email protected].