Spring has sprung at Notre Dame — in more ways than one. March 5, the day engaged students and alumni can reserve the Basilica of the Sacred Heart for their 2019 wedding dates, has come and gone in glorious Irish fashion. It is no secret that the population of lovebirds rivals that of our squirrels on campus, and this year has brought in a new wave of couples keeping the spirit of “ring by spring” alive and well.
Here are just a few profiles of the Notre Dame students preparing to say “I do” and “yes to the dress” to their chain and ball by fall.
A pair with chemistry and physics: Lizett Pink and Andrew Spitzer
Seniors Lizett Pink and Andrew Spitzer have been inseparable since meeting in their physics lab freshman year. They started out as best friends, as Lizett recalls.
“First semester sophomore year at formal, Andrew was slightly intoxicated and started telling random people that we were getting married,” she said. “We were not dating at the time. So after he would say it, I would vehemently tell people that that was absolutely not happening.”
After a spontaneous kiss from Andrew during their sophomore year, the pair became a couple. Since, they’ve created memories in South Bend together with a “date night jar” full of popsicle sticks with activities and restaurants written on them.
When asked how he proposed, Andrew said, “Think of the most cliche Notre Dame proposal ever.”
After getting down on one knee at the grotto, Lizett said yes. The couple will marry next summer at the Basilica and move to Chicago, where Andrew will attend law school at Northwestern University to become a patent lawyer and Lizett will begin a consulting career at West Monroe Partners.
Highschool “Hun-nies”: Cam Kormylo and Maddy McTernan
Juniors Cam Kormylo and Maddy McTernan met on the very first day of high school, and will be returning to Kenosha, Wisconsin, to be the third generation of Cam’s family to get married in their church back home.
“He may not believe me, but I knew there was something special about him the moment I saw him,” Maddy said. Cam said he also knew Maddy was the one early on, when he discovered that she found the movie “Step Brothers” funny.
When asked if they had nicknames for each other, Maddy said one developed through their text messages.
“I used to call him Attila the Hun because every time I sent a text message calling him ‘hun,’ it would auto-correct to ‘Hun,’” she said.
Cam proposed to Maddy last August during a trip to South Haven, Michigan, with another couple. He asked their friends to suggest it as a guise for Cam to plan the entire trip. After a day of “kayaking, going on long walks and eating amazing food,” Cam got down on one knee at the end of the pier as the sun set and Maddy said yes in a tear-filled moment of joy.
At 16 years old, Cam told Maddy that he wanted to marry her and in June 2019 — a month after Cam graduates from Notre Dame and Maddy from Saint Mary’s — he will get his wish.
My John Sun and star: Hanna Kreiner and John Sun
Seniors Hannah Kreiner and John Sun have come a long way since meeting through a mutual friend freshman year. They began dating sophomore year after studying together for their Organic Chemistry II class, and it quickly became apparent that their relationship would last.
“I knew she was the one around two months in,” John said. “Each snowflake took its time falling, coasting downwards slowly in wavy paths, like you see in the Christmas movies. We were sitting in my room and I turned on Christmas music. It’s really cheesy, but I felt a deep sense of warmth and belonging that I had never felt before in my life. I knew at that moment that I wanted to be with her forever.”
John asked Hannah to be his wife with a heartfelt Christmas Day proposal.
“After the whole family was done opening presents, he brought this huge present over to me and told me he actually had one more gift,” Hannah said. “Inside the box was a series of little presents that represented our relationship — most of them were inside jokes. The last one was the ring. It was really special because my parents and little sister were able to be there when he proposed.”
The pair will be married June 5 at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas — close to Hannah’s hometown of Houston. After a year working in Houston, they will relocate for John to attend medical school.
Couples share 'Ring by Spring' stories
Dominique DeMoe
Dominique DeMoe
