Celebrating love and friendship

Love is in the air.

It seems like January passed in the blink of an eye. Now, we’ve reached the most romantic time of the year: Valentine’s Day.

Have you ever seen a couple or friend group on this special occasion and wondered what their meet-cute might have been? Well, I’ve gathered some of the best stories of how couples, best friends and gym buddies met on campus!

Take a look at them to make your heart melt this Valentine’s Day.

Sofia Moreno & Eduard Carrera

Couple's selfie at concert for Valentine's Day — *Picture provided by Sofia Moreno*

Two years and going strong, couple Sofia Moreno and Eduard Carrera shared they had the classic classroom love story.

Back when they were both in their first year, destiny put them in the same class. Moreno said that when she first saw Carrera, she told a friend in class how cute he looked. At that moment, she thought no one could understand since she was speaking in her native language, Spanish.

Turns out that Carrera also spoke the language and came up to Moreno and her friend, speaking in Spanish! I know—nerve-wracking.

Moreno confessed she didn’t like Carrera that much at first, but it was just a matter of time until she got to know a sweeter side of him and completely fell.

The couple said they started hanging out because they took the same bus after class (shoutout TTC making love happen). Eventually, Carrera asked her out and, well, the rest is history.

Carrera mentioned that the first time he saw Moreno, he thought she was very interesting and pretty, and now, after years of being in a relationship, he finds that she is also caring, creative and introspective. That’s what Carrera loves most about Moreno.

Claire Bobert & Emelia Thompson

College girl best friends posing at a photoshoot — *Picture provided by Emelia Thompson*

Best friends and roommates Claire Bobert and Emelia Thompson met at Humber Polytechnic residence!

They soon found out they were both originally from Vancouver and had mutual friends. So, Thompson decided to DM Bobert.

“The rest went from there,” Thompson said.

The first impression Bobert had of Thompson was that “she was so funny and awesome,” not to mention how similar they were and the connection they formed so quickly.

“I knew it was the start of a life-long friendship!”
Claire Bobert

After they met, Thompson reflected on the irony of nearly crossing paths with Bobert multiple times in Vancouver, only to finally meet at Humber.

Who would have thought that from the West Coast to Toronto, they would find each other at post-secondary and have a piece of home by their side?

Joel Peterson & Carla Pineda

Couple enjoying their time in the beach — *Picture provided by Carla Pineda*

Their friends’ favourite couple, Joel Peterson and Carla Pineda, had a long history before they officially got together.

It all started when one of Pineda’s friends dragged her to a party she wasn’t that excited about. Pineda said she was sick and trying to rest on a couch when her future boyfriend sat down next to her and they both started chatting.

But this wasn’t yet the start of their love story, as they lost contact for a couple of months until Peterson invited Pineda to his birthday party. After seeing each other again, they couldn’t ignore the connection they had and went on a proper date.

Unfortunately, Pineda went back to her home country, El Salvador, after this. They stayed apart for four months during the summer and finally, when she came back, they talked things through and officially started dating.

Peterson said that from the first time he saw Pineda, he thought she was very caring. And even now, he feels that care from her, especially in the way “she lets me be myself,” Peterson added.

Pineda also mentioned that she loves how thoughtful Peterson is and that he remembers every little detail. Pineda said she is always surprised with romantic plans, gifts and constant love.

Ben Durbin & Noel Berardine

Guys best friends having dinner — *Picture provided by Ben Durbin.*

Now, it’s time for all-time best friends and gym buddies Ben Durbin and Noel Berardine to share their story.

The friends have known each other since they were little kids in the same primary school in Guelph. They became friends in first grade, where they used to play soccer and baseball together.

“We became close friends in third grade and kept it going all the way up to college,” Durbin said.

Right when they first met, Durbin’s thoughts on Berardine were “athletic and quiet kid,” while Berardine thought “loud kid [referring to Durbin]”—they were definitely meant to be friends for life.

Kids having fun while wearing a 'Pizza Pizza' sports shirt — *Picture provided by Ben Durbin*

Durbin said that in school, Berardine was always down to any activity during recess time, which helped reinforce their friendship through wall ball and four-square games.

They said it was very easy to get along and maintain their friendship since they were in the same class, friend group and sports team.

“He’s an idea guy and keeps things interesting.”
Noel Berardine

One of the best memories they have together is their past trips to Vancouver and Miami.

“It was a sick time,” Durbin said.

Andrea Acosta & Esteban Quiroga

Couple's love selfie in public transit — *Picture provided by Andrea Acosta.*

The last couple in this Valentine’s edition were not really in love at first sight.

Andrea Acosta and Esteban Quiroga said they met through common friends at Humber almost three years ago. They were friends for a long time before deciding to give it a shot.

“My first impression of Andy [Acosta] was that she was funny and seemed like a party person, but she ended up being the opposite,” Quiroga said. Acosta’s funny charm is still Quiroga’s favourite thing about her.

“From the day we met, I loved how easy it was to just talk to him.”
Andrea Acosta

For Acosta, Quiroga’s outgoing and cool personality was what first drew her to him. Together, they make the perfect comedy duo.

Lady and the Tramp movie GIF via Old Hollywood Films — *Via GIPHY*

I hope these love and friendship meet-cutes brought a smile to your face and some romantic spirit to enjoy Valentine’s Day to its fullest.

Quoting my favorite line from the rom-com Love Actually: “If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaky feeling you’ll find that love actually is all around.”

So try to look out for the love in people—not only today but all year long!

And, if you had a chance to visit IGNITE’s Library Love Pop-Up for Valentine’s Day, we’d love to see your experience. Share your pictures with us on our social media at @shareignite.

Feature image courtesy of Matt Nelson via Unsplash.

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