Story
Leo's Point of View:
Technically, the first time I met Andrea was at a gathering for international students during the first few weeks of my freshman year. There’s even a group photo to prove it—but neither of us really remembers meeting that day... 😅
It wasn’t until a year later, in biochemistry class, that fate gave us a proper second chance. Andrea would often come by to say hi to my roommate, the person I always sat with, but somehow those quick greetings meant I got to see her more often, too.
The class was rough since it was scheduled right at noon, when my attention span was shortest thanks to hunger. Then came a sweet routine: Andrea would arrive, like clockwork, holding a box of curly fries from Levering Hall, always with a smile and ready to share. We definitely bonded over enzymes and metabolic pathways (even if the details are now a blur). What I clearly remember is that I secretly looked forward to those moments, just so I could steal a few of her curly fries and share in her warm presence.
Andrea's Point of View:
Unlike Leo, I actually do remember meeting him at that international students gathering back in 2014. For some reason, I walked away thinking he was from LA, and to this day I occasionally think he's from Orange County (apparently that's not in New Jersey, who knew!)
We kept running into each other due to mutual friends and around that time, we also had biochemistry together. The class happened to fall around lunchtime and I only had 10 minutes between classes, so I’d rush to Levering Hall and grab whatever I could, usually curly fries. They became kind of a ritual, and I’d always bring enough to share.
Eventually, we started spending more time together, especially when I needed some serious help with physics. I had just failed my first-ever midterm and was panicking, but Leo stepped in to tutor me. He was patient, encouraging, and made all the confusing concepts make sense. With his help, I turned things around and ended up getting an A in the class. Honestly, I still kind of can’t believe it.
Looking back, it wasn’t any one grand moment that brought us together, rather it was all the small, consistent ways he showed up. Even then, I think part of me knew he was going to be someone really special.