When they were students, William and Stefanie’s school spirit ran deep. William was on the Missouri State cheer squad, and Stefanie was a drum major for the Pride Band. It was their love for Missouri State — and some mutual friends — that brought the couple together.

“As a member of the cheer squad and a member of the Pride Band, we used football and basketball games as our dates,” Stefanie said.

In fact, sporting events played such an important role in their relationship that Plaster Field tops the list of their favorite spots on campus.

On their first Valentine’s Day together, the couple spent the evening at a Bears basketball game. William made the day memorable by asking a police officer to call Stefanie out of the bleachers. Instead of being in trouble like she feared, William gave her flowers in front of the crowd at Hammons Student Center. The couple notes that the Bears did go on to win that night, defeating Evansville 71 to 50.

After graduating, William and Stefanie moved to the St. Louis area. He works as a certified public accountant with KPMG, and she is a music teacher for Meramec Valley R-III schools.

The couple wed in June 2010 after five years of dating.

They plan to pass their love for Missouri State down to the next generation.

“I see a great career in teaching,” Stefanie said of her goals, “with little Bears running around in the not-too-far future.”