Although we didn't meet in college, Robert Morris was where we nurtured our relationship. When money was scarce, Joe decided to drop out of college and get a job. But Joanne didn't want that to be the end of the story and continually hinted that he could pick up where he left off at Robert Morris. He became the nontraditional student, seeing Joanne on campus on rare occasions but sharing the same goals.

Those goals became the glue of their relationship, especially in chaotic times. They married in 1991 and had already started a family by the time Joe graduated. Today Joe works as a criminal analyst and is an ordained deacon, and Joanne is a preschool teacher. Together they have six children and two grandchildren. For both of them, persistence paid off.