Marlene and Nicholas's Story

Marlene and Nicholaus met at Ole Jim at the GSA Winter Ball 2016. It was their first semester of graduate school in different programs so they had never officially met. Nicholaus saw Marlene on the 8th floor of Carlin Hall in the morning and wondered about her until he saw her again at the ball that evening. Marlene knew Nicholaus as the on-campus Latin Dance instructor so she wasn't shy when they 'blinked' their eyes at each other and Nicholaus handed her a balloon. By the end of the night, sparks flew and they decided to exchange phone numbers, except Nicholaus nervously gave her the wrong number! Nonetheless, Nicholaus "found" (aka stalked) Marlene on Facebook and they began conversations online. 

They both lived on the 8th floor-- on opposite sides (north vs. south). They met during Finals week so Nicholaus brought Marlene snacks and helpful gestures to show his interest. They didn't have their first date until Finals ended and they walked across the street of Gallaudet to have lunch together at a fusion restaurant. Sparks flew again as Marlene learned about Nicholaus' upbringing in India. Marlene was shocked that an international student from India ended up at Gallaudet and met a Mexican-American girl with whom he had so much in common! They talked about family, childhood, spiritual beliefs, values, and music. Nicholaus tried to teach Marlene a little bit of Bachata which she had always wanted to learn. They ended their date feeling something special for each other.

The next day, Gallaudet campus closed for Winter Break. Nicholaus flew home to Bangalore, India and Marlene flew home to Las Vegas, NV. They stayed in touch on WhatsApp and bonded through long conversations as they got to know each other better. They returned to campus for Spring semester and started to spend more time together, met each other's friends, and started attending church together at NCC Lincoln Theater every Sunday. In April 2017, Nicholaus asked Marlene to be his girlfriend by creating a scavenger hunt to all the special places on campus where they had met (including the front steps of Ole Jim). Nicholaus and a group of friends hosted a surprise party in Ballard West to celebrate that it was official!

Marlene graduated from Gallaudet in 2018 and they maintained a long distance relationship until Nicholaus' graduation in 2019. The day after graduation, Nicholaus proposed to Marlene at Virginia Beach and she said "yes!". They celebrated their engagement with all of his family from India, Marlene's family from Las Vegas, and Gallaudet friends that all joined the event at Virginia Beach. 

Marlene and Nicholaus had a COVID wedding in 2020 in Las Vegas, NV and a wedding reception in Bangalore, India in 2021. They are now happily married and visit Gallaudet campus often to relive their best memories.