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For Many Alumni Comet Couples, UTD is Where Romance Began

February 13, 2023

It’s no surprise that many UT Dallas alumni can trace budding romances nurtured while students to what would become future marriages and families. There is just something about life as a university student when experiencing adulthood for the first time that makes dating special. And for many, those early dates lead to long-term relationships.

In recognition of Valentine’s Day, we celebrate UT Dallas’ role in bringing couples together through photos and stories of alumni who connected with someone special while at the University.

Chris Hernandez proposing to girlfriend Blanca Roque-Mancera on the Chess Plaza.
Cris A. Hernandez BS’21 proposed to his girlfriend Blanca Roque-Mancera on the Chess Plaza on the UTD campus.
Chris Hernandez hugging girlfriend Blanca Roque-Mancera on the Chess Plaza.
For Hernandez, the Margaret McDermott Plaza was a perfect place to pop the question.

For Cris A. Hernandez BS’21, UT Dallas holds a special place in his heart. At the University he was challenged as a student while holding down a part-time campus job to help financially. His time at the University was such a pivotal point in his life that he wanted to share it with his future fiancé when he proposed to her.

“UT Dallas was one of the hardest obstacles in my life,” Hernandez said. “I would get here at 7 in the morning, work here, study here and not get home until around 10 p.m. Then wake up and do it over. I was the happiest person on earth when I graduated, and I wanted to share how special this place is with my fiancé.”

In September 2022 Hernandez surprised Blanca Roque-Mancera with an old-fashioned, down-on-your-knee proposal with ring and roses in hand among the magnolia trees on the Margaret McDermott Mall. The couple plan to marry later this year, and just a few weeks ago celebrated the birth of their daughter, Georgina. Hernandez graduated in 2021 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and is a teacher at South Garland High School in Texas.

Though not a UTD student herself, Roque-Mancera spent a fair amount of time on campus, often bringing dinner to Hernandez, who worked evenings as a Comet Cab driver. Hernandez said between classes, studying and working, he barely saw her while at UTD.

“Sometimes I wouldn’t eat, and Blanca would bring me dinner from IHOP and ride with me on the Comet Cab,” he said. “Otherwise, I wouldn’t get to see her.”

Joe Felan and girlfriend Bryanna LeGrand holding up the sign he created to propose.
Joe Felan BS’19 proposed to Bryanna LeGrand BS’20 following her graduation ceremony.
Joe Felan and Bryanna LeGrand posing for a picture.
The Felans were married in 2022.

Bryanna Felan BS’20 and Joe Felan BS’19 met and began dating at Marcus High School in Flower Mound, Texas, but their time together at UT Dallas allowed their relationship to “mature.”

“Attending UTD together was an important part of the path we’ve had together so far,” Bryanna said. “UTD fostered a great environment for us to flourish in school while maintaining a secure relationship.”

Joe enrolled at the University in 2015 to study software engineering while Bryanna started a year later as a biochemistry major. Joe returned to campus in 2020 for Bryanna’s graduation and surprised her with a marriage proposal after her commencement ceremony with a huge banner popping the question on the Margaret McDermott Mall. The two were married in July 2022.

“It just made sense that we got engaged at UTD,” Bryanna said. “It is cool to see how we grew over the years of dating while also going to school, and to remember one of our last moments on campus as one of the biggest days of our lives.”

Joe is now a software engineer while Bryanna has started the biomedical sciences PhD program at UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas.

Alan Arce and Lindsay Caudill being married on the Margaret McDermott Plaza.
Alan Arce BS’19 and Lindsay Caudill BS’20 were married in a ceremony on the Margaret McDermott Plaza.
Alan Arce and Lindsay Caudill walking down the Margaret McDermott Plaza
The UTD campus is a popular backdrop for many significant occasions.

Other Comet couples whose relationships flourished at UT Dallas include Lindsay Caudill BS’20 and Alan Arce BS’19 who were married in August 2022 in an outdoor ceremony on the University’s Margaret McDermott Mall. Caudill, a marketing major, and Acre, a finance major, met while part of the UT Dallas e-sports and gaming program.

“UTD and the e-sports program hold special places in our hearts,” said Lindsay Caudill BS’20.