Students enter Emory expecting to make lifelong friends, along with a well-rounded education. But between classes, extracurriculars and hanging out on campus, some also meet their future spouse.
Hear from seven couples who were brought together by Emory University and how it’s played a central role in their lives and love stories.
Carl Dillon and Carla Carmona
While their first meeting may have been a little awkward, for Carla Carmona 18Ox 20C 21G and Carl Dillon 18Ox 20C, looking back, the situation seems like fate.
On the very first day of school at Oxford College, the two were sitting in an introduction to film studies course. When Associate Professor David Resha called Carla’s name for roll call, she eagerly responded, “Here!”
Carl and Carla first met at Oxford College and married in 2023.
When the professor called out “Carl” shortly afterward, Carla raised her hand, thinking she’d been called twice. “No,” said the professor, chuckling. “I called on Carl, not you.”
Romance eventually grew out of a friendship borne of common interests. “We love storytelling in all its ways,” says Carla. “Whether it’s a cleverly paced book, a tear-jerking movie or an award-winning video game.” The shared interest led to another class in common, this time a literature course on crime fiction taught by Associate Professor Brad Hawley.
Both loved the reading assignments, which, says Carla, “very conveniently led to duo study sessions that were ‘absolutely not study dates’ at the Oxford College Library.”
Later, when they had just started dating, Carl left one of these study sessions and, although he’d already said goodbye, stopped by the library’s small cafe and picked up peanut butter cookies, which Carla had mentioned were a favorite. “I’ll never forget the look on her face when I came back to the study room,” he says.
The two married in 2023 after five years together. Now living in Decatur, Georgia, Carl is a health care recruiter, while Carla is a journalist at GameRant, a leading gaming publication. Carla has also worked as a communications specialist at the Candler School of Theology. They live with two adorable cats named Carmilla and Cirilla.
“I went to Emory for a degree,” says Carl, “and left with a degree and not just a spouse, but a partner and equal in all things in life. Without Emory, I likely would not have met the incredible woman that she is.”
Tsian Ramrattan and Yash Ramgopal
Tsian and Yash fostered boxer puppy Governor during their junior years.
As both students were pursuing science degrees with an eye toward graduate school, they found themselves together in future chemistry and physics classes. While Yash completed a major in quantitative sciences, Tsian graduated with a double major in chemistry and economics.
In their junior year, they “co-parented” a foster boxer puppy named Governor. They remember fondly the many times the three of them ran around McDonough Field or the Quad.
Both are currently in graduate school in different states, with Yash about to finish medical school at the University of Texas in Galveston and Tsian a fourth year analytical chemistry PhD student at the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill.
Emma West and Connor Genschaw
As undergraduates, Emma West 23C and Connor Genschaw 22C were both interested in attending medical school and pursuing careers in pediatrics. After Emory, they continued chasing those dreams and both are earning medical degrees; Emma is at Case Western and Connor is at Wayne State.
Emma and Connor are pursuing dreams from their undergraduate days, as both are completing medical school.
It wasn’t only medicine that drew the couple together, however. Both loved tennis and had been coaches prior to meeting. Connor played on Emory’s NCAA tennis team, while Emma played on the club tennis squad. “I dragged him to our practices a couple of times,” Emma says. “People loved having him to play against.”
In the meantime, Connor also loved his club sport, a men’s ultimate frisbee team called JUICE. Emma was a big supporter of the team. “She’d drive multiple hours to cheer on our team at various tournaments,” he recalls. Once, she played the team mascot. “She became an essential part of JUICE’s success.”
The Chattahoochee Coffee Company on Akers Mill Road was a favorite hangout and also where Connor asked Emma to be his girlfriend. “This place is still one of my favorites of all time,” Emma says. Connor recalls enjoying the scenery of the area behind the coffee shop, where they enjoyed barbecue picnics and relaxed in a hammock.
Following graduation, Emma served as the vice president of philanthropy and service for the Atlanta branch of the Emory Young Alumni Association. “I was so grateful to be able to give back to the community that gave so much to me.”
Looking back at her life so far, Emma sees it in two distinct parts: before and after Emory. “I can’t even begin to articulate how much this school and the people I met contributed to my intellectual curiosity, character and formation of values.”
Brandi Cox and Muhammad Jaiteh
Brandi and Muhammad fondly remember their time at Oxford College.
One of Brandi’s favorite Emory memories is attending Oxford’s Fall Formal at the famous Fox Theatre in Midtown Atlanta. “It was a memorable night,” she says.
The couple now lives in Georgia – although they’ve traveled to Puerto Rico and Japan. Brandi works as a registered nurse and Muhammad has a career as a consulting business analyst.
Isabel Petrescu and Alex Gulka
There’s no question what brought Isabel Petrescu and Alex Gulka together: Both arrived at Emory to pursue PhDs in the genetics and molecular biology program in the Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences. Alex is in his fifth year of studies, while Isabel is in her fourth.
Isabel and Alex are completing their PhDs in the Genetics and Molecular Biology program.
Isabel first met Alex when he served as a teaching assistant in a foundational course. “At the time I was committed to maintaining an aloof person,” Alex recalls. “Isabel convinced me to be more socially involved in the program — fortunately for me!”
Later, they took a course in bioinformatics together and, out of their studies, a friendship developed.
In the early days of dating, they enjoyed hanging out at Kaldi’s and taking walks around campus and Lullwater Reserve. But it was while working together at the library on their final projects for a bioinformatics course that they mutually agreed they were a couple.
Many of the activities they enjoy together center around their graduate program. Isabel was treasurer of the Graduate Students in Genetics, a genetics and molecular biology social group. They also spent time together serving as teaching assistants for a graduate-level statistics and data analysis course for two semesters.
They live in nearby Decatur, Georgia, with a cat named Mendel, after genetics pioneer Gregor Mendel.
Katie Sloop Ray and William Ray
Not only did Katie Sloop Ray 04C and William Ray 04B meet at Emory, but it’s where they became engaged and, in 2004, got married.
Katie and William met, got engaged and tied the knot all at Emory.
Originally, William had wanted to propose at Floataway Cafe, Katie explains, but he couldn’t wait and instead popped the question in his room at Kappa Alpha House.
While the fraternity was central to William, Katie’s extracurricular time was spent playing oboe in the Emory Wind Ensemble and Emory Symphony Orchestra, as well as singing in the a cappella group Aural Pleasure.
They both enjoyed hanging out at Maggie’s, where they loved karaoke (Williams go-to was “Moondance,” Katie’s “Something to Talk About”). Maggie’s was also where they met up for trivia nights with William’s fraternity brothers and house manager James “Coach” Edlen.
Married for 21 years, the couple lives in Houston, Texas, where William is in the commercial banking field. Since the arrival of their two boys, Katie has been a stay-at-home mother, but with a brand new master’s in library science, she soon plans to land a job in a library, archive or museum.
Michelle Dobo and George Dobo
The Delta Tau Delta fraternity was at the center of life for Michelle 93C and George Dobo 94C 98M. It was where they first met, and years later, George’s fraternity brothers remain some of their best friends.
Michelle and George, who married in 1996, have a daughter who is also an Emory alumna.
On the academic side, Michelle and George pursued pre-dental and pre-med tracks, respectively, and took several courses together, including anatomy and human physiology.
These days, George is a dermatologist while Michelle has retired from a career in dentistry.
“College at Emory was some of the best years of my life,” says Michelle. “We enjoyed the fraternity formals, studying at Candler Library together and eating lunch at Dobbs University Center.”
George enjoyed parties on McDonough Field, in part because the old Delta Tau Delta house overlooked it.
Married since 1996, the couple lives in Marietta, Georgia. Their daughter is also an Emory alum, graduating from Oxford College in 2022 and Emory College in 2024.