When Sarah (Lewey) and Leslie “Les” McDaniel met in 2013 at a local bar called the Grotto, it was all thanks to mutual alumni friends.

“He schooled me in pool, and I stole his beer and his heart,” she recalls of that night.

The first two years of their relationship was long distance, as Les graduated with a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering in 2003. Sarah, who earned a bachelor’s degree in English in 2014, credits part of their relationship success with the other people they met during their journey at S&T. 

“The family we made there – they remind us who we are, where we came from, and inspire us to be better humans,” she says. 

Married in 2016, the couple comes back to campus every March to celebrate St. Pat’s.

“Our favorite part is a tie between Gonzo and Games or Street Painting,” she says. “Our hearts pump green.” 

Today Les works as a plant manager for P.W. Gillibrand and Sarah is “chaos coordinator” for their two children, 3-year-old Rory and 9-month-old Sophia.

Their relationship advice?

“Anything worth having is worth working for.”