With Valentine's Day right around the corner, love is certainly filling the air at Siena. But for one couple—whose story starts right here on our campus—it's just another day to share the love!
Juniors Paolo Fiore, of Brightwaters, NY, and Paulina Harron, of Brookfield, Conn. (both pictured here at this year's Mr. Siena contest) dish the details of how they met, what life is like as a campus couple and what they love most about Siena. *Insert heart-eyed emoji here.*
Q: When and where did you first meet?
Paolo: We actually had two classes together first semester of freshman year: chemistry and calculus. On a walk back from class one day, I made a fuss about how I didn't want to ruin my shirt in the rain (an original gangster George Washington shirt), so I took it off so it wouldn't get wet. I knew I liked the kind of person Paulina was because she didn't shy away; she smiled and actually found it funny.
Paulina: I was so excited that I walked with Paolo—I even called my mom and told her about walking with this cute boy! It wasn't love at first sight, though. I think I just had the beginnings of the butterflies and a little crush on him.
Q: At what point did it become clear you two would end up together?
Paolo: She was my best friend and I gradually became attracted. (Have you seen this girl? #Flawless.) I knew I was going to ask her out when I was on the Habitat for Humanity service trip. She snapchatted me over spring break and I, in turn, wrote to her each day. Love has a funny way of finding people and for me, the conscious decision to be with her was during that trip.
Paulina: We played basketball almost everyday, ate almost every meal together and talked all the time. We didn’t have any more classes together, but I saw Paolo every day and I loved it! He was becoming one of my closest friends at Siena (plus, I had a huge crush on him). When he did ask me out, I think we were both just excited to officially be going out.Q: Your names sound perfect together (we know you've heard that before). What are some of the funniest things people say about it?
Paolo: My father once said something along the lines of, “Obviously Paolo would date someone with a name so close to his. It is because he loves himself so much. He can’t date himself, so he picked the next best thing: someone whose name is so similar.”Paulina: My favorite moments have to be when people who’ve known us for a while randomly say, “Oh my gosh, your names are so close!” Yes, we know. Giggle giggle, chuckle chuckle. We usually don’t use our full names when we talk to each other, though. I usually call him Pal and he usually calls me Paul.
Q: We've heard you two can always be found together. Are you in the same classes, too? What are you majoring in?Paulina: Freshman year was the only time that Paolo was in my classes. This was when we were both biology majors. Since then, most of our time spent together has been during our free time. I am now an environmental science major in pursuit of saving the planet (rather than just helping it).
Paolo: I'm a social work major with the hopes of being a high school counselor. Paulina is a very hard worker, which I admire. She takes diligent notes, does her homework in advance and is meticulous when it comes to her studies. Then there’s me: I sit in class without taking notes and procrastinate terribly. We differ in learning styles, but it works. She helps me when I need to focus and I remind her that it's fine if she doesn’t finish her homework on Tuesday when it's due next Friday.
Q: What's an off-campus or Capital Region activity you love to do together?
Paulina: We love getting all dressed up and going to dinner at Bellini’s, right down the road from Siena. When it's warm, we love to bike to the plaza. We also love Burger 21 (check out their shakes!).
Paolo: Siena provides transportation to nearby malls and movie theaters, which are fun to go to, but my favorite activity is exploring upstate New York. The beautiful mountains and natural preserves of Saratoga and Lake George are a day trip away!
Q: Besides finding each other (of course), what's your favorite thing about Siena?
Paolo: The tight-knit community.
Paulina: Everyone is so friendly and welcoming; I truly consider Siena to be my second home.Now that you know what one of Siena's couples loves about our campus, come see it for yourself! (And if you happen to see Pal and Paul, be sure to say hello!)
