Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ

February 13, 2017
Life After Witt

"A Valentine Tale"

Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ Alumni's Love Story

"Our Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ Moment" 

For Sean ’06 and Joyce Dindo McKinniss ’06, cross-cultural studies proved the catalyst for a lifetime of love.

The year was 2003 when we first met in a Russian history class at Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ. Back then, we were more of acquaintances as our schedules turned out to be quite similar, so we would see each other frequently in our political science classes.

That all changed in March 2005 when we were both presenting papers at a research conference about Russia at Ohio State University. It was there that the sparks flew, when Sean decided to ask me out to dinner. But before he could (or as I say, before he mustered up the courage), I asked him to be my date for the Gamma Phi Beta formal that spring. 

From that point on, the rest is history. We continued to date throughout our time at Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ and then in graduate school (Capital Law School for me and Ohio State for Sean).

In 2008, Sean took me back to Hollenbeck Hall, the place where we first met, to propose. We got married in 2009.

Looking back, Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ was and is one of our favorite places to be, and we owe so much to the university. Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ shaped our personal and professional lives profoundly.  The relationships we developed with our professors, friends, and with each other made us into the people we are today. The university also reaffirmed our values, specifically those of mutual respect, love and adventure, and it is these values that keep us grounded, happy and excited for the future.

- Sean ’06 and Joyce Dindo McKinniss â€˜06

Sean, a Springfield native, currently works at Worthington Industries in the Learning and Development department, while Joyce, originally from Akron, is an attorney at Jones Day in Columbus. The couple reside in Columbus, Ohio, with their 1-year-old daughter, Flora, and their dog, Bessie.

- Office of University Communications

Cindy Holbrook
Cindy Holbrook
Senior Communications Assistant

About Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ

Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ's curriculum has centered on the liberal arts as an education that develops the individual's capacity to think, read, and communicate with precision, understanding, and imagination. We are dedicated to active, engaged learning in the core disciplines of the arts and sciences and in pre-professional education grounded in the liberal arts. Known for the quality of our faculty and their teaching, Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ has more Ohio Professors of the Year than any four-year institution in the state. The university has also been recognized nationally for excellence in community service, sustainability, and intercollegiate athletics. Located among the beautiful rolling hills and hollows of Springfield, Ohio, Ìð¹ÏÊÓƵ offers more than 100 majors, minors and special programs, enviable student-faculty research opportunities, a unique student success center, service and study options close to home and abroad, a stellar athletics tradition, and successful career preparation.

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