Augie Sweethearts: Michael Carlyle '13 and Danielle Harrington '14

Submitted by Michael Carlyle of Madison, Wis.

Danielle and I met in high school, but we hardly knew each other or had anything in common at the time. We met through band, both performing in the pit orchestra for her school's musicals, but we didn't communicate outside of that, and she distinctly remembers me not liking her at the time. It goes without saying that our ending up at Augustana was quite serendipitous.

We started dating at the end of our freshman year at Augie, after having arranged a date to cuddle (yes, really!). Always the assertive one, she told me just a few days into our relationship, "I'ma marry you!" Luckily, I didn't run in fear, as a little over five years later, she said "yes." Even though she knew I had the ring, I was able to surprise her and leave my comfort zone to pop the question in a public and mushy way.