AJ (Bedwell) and Patrick Prawitz met in spring 2004 as castmates of the musical, Annie Get Your Gun.

“I was playing Dolly Tate and he was a dancing cowboy with very little rhythm,” says AJ.

That production would be the first of many for the two to perform on the Leach Theatre stage under the direction of John Woodfin.

Patrick earned a bachelor’s degree in information science and technology in 2007 and currently teaches middle school science in Newburg, Mo. AJ, who teaches family and consumer science in St. James, Mo., earned a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences in 2006 and a master’s degree in technical communication in 2008. The couple married in October 2008.

“It’s great being local because we can share our stories with our daughters whenever we drive through town – long nights spent in Leach Theatre, which classes were held in which buildings, attending concerts anywhere from the Puck to the Bandshell, movies on the lawn, how campus has changed, and just how awesome S&T can be!” 

Their relationship advice?

“Find things you both enjoy,” says AJ. “While you don’t have to share all the same interests, it’s fun when you can talk about or do an activity together.”