Many of us come to Penn State with no idea what the future will hold. Truly, we as students are blindsided as to what could happen tomorrow. But from that first step we take onto campus, we know that we’re about to have the time of our lives and meet some special people.

For finance senior Meg DeMario and electrical engineering senior Steven Davis, love was one of the first things they discovered at University Park. To understand how these two found their way to each other, we have to start from the beginning.

As an incoming freshman, DeMario traveled from a town in Mechanicsburg, Pa. to attend Penn State’s Learning Edge Academic Program (LEAP) before the school year really kicked off. Understanding it was time to transition into a bigger school, DeMario knew making friends was at the top of her priority list.

With great luck, DeMario was placed into a LEAP group with another student from Mechanicsburg, and they immediately became friends. Because LEAP takes place in the summer, a crew of friends was coming up to see DeMario’s new companion, so DeMario decided to tag along.

“[Steve and I] met in the Fraser parking garage,” DeMario said with a chuckle. “We met the friends coming to visit at the parking garage because they didn’t know where anything on campus was.”

Although the location isn’t the most beautiful of places, the two immediately saw their spark in that fateful garage.

Fast forward to when the fall semester started, DeMario and Davis met up with their mutual friends once again to attend a volleyball game as many freshmen might during that first week of school.

“We stayed up until 3 or 4 a.m. talking after the game,” Davis said. “We talked all night long, getting to know each other and what we really had in common.”

Within this time, DeMario and Davis found out that they live only a quick 20-minute drive away from each other back in Mechanicsburg. They couldn’t believe that they went to neighboring high schools but gracefully met at a large campus like Penn State.

After this initial strong connection, they went on their first date at Baby’s (R.I.P.), and the rest is history.

DeMario made it clear that she wouldn’t stay up that late for anyone. Weeks later, she decided to let him know just how much she liked him.

“I told him I liked him, and he asked me out right after that. We have been together ever since September 2018,” DeMario said.

DeMario expressed that when coming to a college, she truly didn’t know anyone here. For Davis, he was so glad to have someone to always talk to and be able to “figure the stressors out in life with.”

“When you’re at home, you have your family as a support system. When you get to college, you don’t know who you can trust yet,” DeMario said. “It was really nice for us to get to know each other and establish trust early on in the process. We always had each other’s back.”

While hearing their story, the energy the couple radiates was infectious. Two Penn Staters this in love? It doesn’t get better than this, right? Well, it does.

The Thursday before this past year’s spring break is one DeMario and Davis will never forget.

“We knew we were going to get engaged at some point, and I wanted to make sure the ring was going to be perfect,” Davis said. “The engagement would’ve been sooner, but it got delayed because we got a cat!”

Ring shopping got delayed during the last week of summer as they needed to tend to their new cat, so DeMario wasn’t expecting a proposal any time soon. Little did she know that the ring was made during fall break, and Davis was waiting for the perfect time.

“It was pretty low-key. I got flowers and Meg’s favorite candy. I also made us dinner,” Davis said. “It looked like something special was going on, and then I popped the question.”

An intimate setting for the proposal is what they always imagined. More importantly, it happened right here at Penn State.

Between the couple’s family and friends, everyone knew the two were going to get married since the start of their relationship. After graduation this May, DeMario and Davis will head to Indiana, where Davis will pursue his Ph.D. at Notre Dame.

Although the couple is moving soon, they are currently planning to head back to Mechanicsburg in June 2023 to seal the deal with the support of their friends and family. Who knows if we will see a touch of blue and white on their special day?