Valentine’s Day is a holiday many people spend celebrating love and affection. Whether it is a platonic bond or a romantic relationship, the day is often associated with rom‑coms, love letters and bouquets of roses. On a campus as big and vibrant as the University of Alabama, those small moments that bring people together often begin with a classic “meet‑cute.” Here are a few of the love stories found around UA.
Nora & Gabriel
Nora Sammons, a junior majoring in apparel and textiles with a concentration in fashion merchandising, and Gabriel Sacasa, a senior majoring in psychology, first met through a mutual friend and later crossed paths at several Bama Catholic events. At first, both were hesitant to talk to each other, but during a bonfire, they ended up sharing what would become their “meet‑cute.”
“I had marshmallows all over me,” Sammons said. “He went to shake my hand. I was like, ‘You’re not gonna,’ because I’m covered in marshmallows. And I was like, ‘this is the most embarrassing thing that’s ever happened.’”
The bonfire followed an event at Bama Catholic. Sacasa remembered the moment, but said his interest didn’t really spark until later.
“I didn’t think anything of the marshmallow,” Sacasa said. He first chatted with Sammons afterward and thought she was “pretty cool.” They kept talking, exchanged numbers and eventually went on their first date.
Sammons said when she thinks about their relationship, she has “Love Actually” playing in her head.
“It always goes back to faith. Yes, it’s all the feelings you have for the other person, but it’s also a choice you make every day,” Sammons said. “To care about them and do what’s best for them.”
Audrey & Pierce
Audrey Zimmerman, a freshman double majoring in news media and communication studies, first met Pierce Miller, a junior double majoring in finance and accounting, in the Saban Center at Bama Catholic, where she often studied during her first semester. Miller was the one who approached her, stopping to talk whenever he saw her there.
“It was fall semester early and she would just be hanging around the Saban Center, and I was thinking to myself, ‘That’s a cute lady. I should go talk to her,’” Miller said.
After a “Spirit and Truth” night at Bama Catholic, he asked if she wanted to get Cook Out. Zimmerman assumed it was just friendly, but the two kept talking, exchanged numbers and eventually went on their first date — Wingstop, a movie they barely watched and a stop at a playground on the way back.
“We stopped by that random little playground with a big slide, because I’ve never been on it, and I went on it for the first time,” Zimmerman said. “I randomly did cartwheels, and he cartwheeled as well. My mindset is like, I gotta be cuckoo crazy on the first date. If you can’t handle that, then you’re not for me.”
Miller said that the couple has hung out every day after that night at the park. The couple has been dating for nearly four months now.
Carmen & Juan
Juan Black, an instructor in the Department of American Culture and Society, first met his wife, Carmen Velaraga, a faculty member in the same department, when they were 12 years old. They grew up attending the same church and stayed friends throughout their childhood in Ecuador.
After high school, life took them in different directions. Black moved to the United States to study while Velaraga remained in Ecuador. Years later, Black found Velaraga’s number in an old contact list and called. That single call reconnected them after years apart.
Their friendship slowly shifted into something more, as they navigated a long‑distance relationship across countries and time zones. Velaraga traveled between Ecuador, Canada and China for work and her studies while Black continued his studies in the U.S. They talked every night, even when distance made everything harder.
Eventually, Velaraga decided to visit the U.S., and the two realized they wanted to build a life together.
“I went to a conference in China with my boss, so my life was made over there,” Velaraga said. “But because love is so strong, I just forgot about what I had in my country and said, ‘Okay, let’s get married.’”
After four years of distance, missed visas and many obstacles, they married in Ecuador in 2010. The couple has been together for 15 years now but had to persist through some struggles.
“We had to fight hard, the two of us, to stay together,” Black said. “Covid helped because we had to stay together for a long time in one small place.”
Fifteen years later, Black and Vekaraga are still together and raising two children.
“I left everything I had in my country to start a life with him,” Velaraga said. “That’s love.”
Editor’s note: This story was updated Feb. 16 to correct the spelling of a name and the attribution of a quote. It is “Sacasa,” not “Sakosa,” and comments regarding “Love Actually” and faith in relationships were Sammons’, not Sacasa’s.
