Ten tales of finding love at graduate school
You never know where you may find that special someone—online, at your local coffee shop, or in graduate school! Here are a few Fletcher meet-cutes that cross coursework, cultures, and continents.
Ordered from the newest couples to those who have been together the longest.
May (Tint Tel May), F23 & Isaac Tan, F22
How did you first meet?
Our meet-cute was at The Burren, where Isaac was performing his first show for the Fletcheros, and May was one of the audience members.
How long have you been together?
Four years.
What has your life looked like since Fletcher?
We moved all the way from Washington, D.C. (May) and Toronto (Isaac) to Singapore. In Singapore, May now works as an Investment Banker, and Isaac now works for one of the largest recruiting firms in the world. We had our wedding in Phuket, Thailand, in Oct 2025, where at least 40 Fletcher mafia attended from MIB, MALD, and beyond.
Matias Kuret, F20 & Olivia Reader, F21
How did you first meet?
Matias and Olivia met in 2019 on a too-early Friday morning in their professional development seminar. Everyone was asked to share a fun fact about themselves, and Olivia shared that she had recently welcomed a baby puppy into her home. Matias didn’t hear the word puppy. Even though he thought Olivia was cute, the baby freaked him out a little. They quickly cleared things up. Flash forward a few years, the dog wore Fletcher orange to the wedding, and a human baby joined their family in September 2025.
How long have you been together?
Six years.
What has your life looked like since Fletcher?
We moved from Washington, D.C., to Ann Arbor, Michigan, a few months ago. Olivia works in renewable energy, and Matias works in human rights—but those are just our side hustles. Our real full-time job is our four-month-old.
Christopher Quintos, F18 & Caroline Hedberg, F19
How did you first meet?
We met in Professor Salacuse’s Law and Development class. After spending most of the semester in rival study groups, we finally crossed paths studying for the final, and the rest was history.
How long have you been together?
Eight years.
What has your life looked like since Fletcher?
Full of love, delightful surprises, and partnership through challenges. Chris moved back home to Chicago after graduating from Fletcher, and Caroline (and her cat Amelia) followed the following year after her graduation (Caroline, not Amelia). Chris has worked on the Consulting team at Euromonitor since, and Caroline has been working on the International FDI team at RSM. In January 2024, they welcomed their son Gustav.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
So much gratitude for the Fletcher community for bringing us together and being such a meaningful part of our lives still today. Please reach out if you come through Chicago!
Ngan Nguyen, F96 & Jonathan Shulman, F97
How did you first meet?
I fixed my gaze straight ahead, completely focused on what I wanted most in that moment: a perfectly sizzling hot dog, proudly stationed on the grill in the middle of the Blakeley Hall courtyard. Without much hesitation—or shame—I grabbed it, fully intending to retreat upstairs and enjoy it in peaceful solitude, casting aside the opportunity to meet my new classmates. Just as I turned away, a serious voice stopped me.
“Excuse me, but there’s a line back here.”
I looked up, annoyed at first, then instantly disarmed by the sweetest face imaginable—belonging, inconveniently, to my accuser.
“Oh—sorry, I didn’t see you there,” I said, pivoting quickly. “But listen… can you let me take this one? I promise I’ll grab the next one for you.”
He smiled and agreed. True to my word, I secured his hot dog and immediately began dressing it with mustard.
“Whoa, I’m a ketchup guy,” he announced.
I sighed and rolled my eyes. “That’s unfortunate,” I said. “Trust me—you need mustard in your life.”
I handed him the hot dog and turned to leave, but he caught on right away and started squeezing ketchup over the mustard-covered bun, then glanced at a nearby bench, inviting me with his eyes to sit and share the hot dog with him. I hesitated because just minutes earlier, I had ended things with my then-boyfriend, and all I wanted was to wallow in my room. But as fate would have it, over the next five hours, even after the Fletcher welcome party had ended, we sat on that bench, excitedly exchanging stories about our adventures in Southeast Asia, where we both had lived and worked for two years prior to coming to Fletcher. More than anything, we were exhilarated by the simple fact that someone actually understood our stories and the weight of how those life-changing experiences had left us feeling. As we traced our movements around that region, we kept marveling at the fact that we’d been in the same cities at the same time. Two wandering souls, finally finding their soulmates on that wooden bench.
We didn’t date right away, but he knew I was "the one" when, at one of the Fletcher speakers’ luncheons, he saw me stack brownies on my plate with a Diet Coke next to it. From that moment onwards, we quietly dated, pulled all-nighters for those infamous Fletcher exams, and then embarked on a six-year long distance relationship, pre-dating cell phones, with me in Cambodia and Vietnam and him in Ireland, and then decided to wed under a chuppah in Jackson Square in the heart of the French Quarter in New Orleans in front of our family and friends, including many Fletcherites, finally having our dream Cao Dai, Cajun, Jewish, Buddhist, Vietnamese Viking wedding. In true Fletcher fashion, we moved to London as newlyweds and grew our family there, traveling the world with them.
Who would have imagined that a shared culinary moment would lead us to a rich, chaotic life with three wondrous children (Khai, Ai Vy, and Luu Ly), a beloved furkid named Butter, mortgages, and family vacations in faraway places that influencers haven’t yet visited. In a full circle moment, when our son Khai started at Tufts, the window of his freshman dorm room looked right out into the spot where we first shared hot dogs. The bench is no longer there, but maybe one day, our children will donate one in our honor (no pressure).
I’m happy to report that Jonathan continues to eat mustard since our first encounter, goes for sriracha when he’s feeling wild, bickers with me about the daily allowance of sugar, and still thinks he’s my rebound boyfriend, even though this May will be our 25th wedding anniversary.
How long have you been together?
32 years.
What has your life looked like since Fletcher?
Jonathan and I came to Fletcher thinking we would become career diplomats, only to discover earlier on that we were both too opinionated to pursue a career in diplomacy. We made a quick pivot into other fields of study and career paths. He trailblazed the ever-evolving global telecommunications space, while I worked in the field of international development in Southeast Asia, helping communities emerge from conflict and poverty, and preparing them with tools to reintegrate into the global economy.
Ten days before our wedding, I completed a six-week five-member National Geographic sea kayaking expedition to explore coastal communities in Vietnam, intent on surviving the grueling journey so that I could join Jonathan in matrimony.
When we began building our family in London, I worked on my doctorate. Wanting to provide the best life and education for our family, we started a food business together, Ai Vy Springrolls, while working corporate and non-profit jobs. The stress of starting and running a business together, while raising young kids, was a true test of marriage. But we are happy to report that we’re still together, sharing hot dogs and brownies.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Fletcher For Life!
Mike Hammer, F87 & Margret Bjorgulfsdottir, F88
How did you first meet?
Mike and Margret met as classes began in the fall of 1986. With a shared passion for international affairs and for making the world a better place—core Fletcherite traits—they married in August 1989.
How long have you been together?
39 years, 36 married.
What has your life looked like since Fletcher?
Traveled the globe with Mike as an American diplomat and Margret mostly as a journalist. Their postings included Denmark, Iceland, Norway, Bolivia, Chile, DR Congo, and now as Chief of Mission in Cuba.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Advice to today’s Fletcher students—you will learn as much from your classmates as from your professors, you will make friends for life, and in some cases, come away with a partner 😉. Happy Valentine’s Day! Photo with two other made-at-Fletcher couples. We forged the closest of bonds, and to this day discuss world events, trends, and how we can make a difference—last time over mojitos in Hanava with Meri McCoy Thompson, F87, Steven Thompson, F87, James Winkler, F87, FG89, and Mary Packard-Winkler, F88
Gretchen Wehrle-Scott, F86 & Hilary Scott, F87, FG92
How did you first meet?
Both Hilary and I were on the waiting list for admission for the fall of 1984. Each of us took classes in Fletcher's summer program in 1984 in the hopes of boosting our chances of getting into the program. We were both housed at Blakeley Hall and met in the common room where everyone gathered to watch the news every day (all three networks)!
How long have you been together?
Married for 35 years, friends for five years before.
What has your life looked like since Fletcher?
Ironically, given our internationally focused studies, we have always made our home in Somerville, MA. While at Fletcher, Gretchen thought she'd go into the Foreign Service, but before that happened, she found interesting work as a bank examiner for the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, which turned into a 35+ year career in financial services supervision and compliance.
During his PhD studies, Hilary worked in the political science department at Tufts and taught at the Tufts European Center at Talloires. His focus shifted to a career in the arts (photography and sculpture) while taking on the role of primary caregiver to our two children, Hannah and Gabriel.
While Gretchen is retired from the Fed, she serves as a director (and rower) at the Gentle Giant Rowing Club, a non-profit that supports youth rowing on the Mystic River. Hilary is still working as the principal photographer for the Boston Symphony and can be spotted photographing concerts at Boston's Symphony Hall, Jordan Hall, or at Tanglewood in Stockbridge.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
It is always amazing to run into alums "in the wild" and recognize the special bond we share. We are always in awe of the contributions that Fletcher students, graduates, and faculty have made to try and make the world a better and more stable place to live.
John Hennessey-Niland, A85, F87 & Julie Hennessey-Niland, F87
How did you first meet?
Julie and I shared the same doorway at Blakeley Hall, where we lived our first year at Fletcher.
How long have you been together?
We married in 1988.
What has your life looked like since Fletcher?
Julie worked for AT&T while I had a career with the U.S. Department of State. We have been very fortunate and continue to enjoy our lives together.
Steven Benz, F85 & Lynne Sherburne-Benz, F85, FG93
How did you first meet?
Lynne and I met thanks to our Fletcher classmates. I was good friends with Lynne's housemates, Debra Cooper Sauermann and Linda Specht, and spent a fair amount of time at their house. One morning in the Fletcher coffee house, Lynne told me, "Yes, I will go on a date with you." I knew early on that she was the one. After graduation, Lynne went to Madagascar to do research on rice production for her PhD dissertation. I flew across the world for two days (economy class) and proposed to her in Antananarivo, Madagascar. I remember telling the KLM stewardesses that I was flying to Madagascar to propose. The stewardesses were very nice to me and let me sleep on the floor, which I do not think anyone can do any more! Many of our Fletcher classmates joined us for our wedding in Vermont in October 1986.
How long have you been together?
40 years married!
What has your life looked like since Fletcher?
Two fascinating careers—Lynne at the World Bank, working on poverty, health, education, and social protection issues around the world for over 30 years, and Steve as a partner, practicing antitrust/competition law at a Washington, D.C. law firm. Three wonderful children and three adorable grandchildren.
Judith L. Katz, F77 & Grant F. Rhode, A70, F79, FG80
How did you first meet?
We met 50 years ago in 1976, between classes in the Fletcher Lounge, a golden moment.
How long have you been together?
We have been together for about 45 years. We were close at Fletcher and after about five-six years, separated to begin different careers in 1983, got back together in 1988, and married in 1989.
What has your life looked like since Fletcher?
After Fletcher, Judy began her career as a consultant working on USAID-funded education and housing projects in the Middle East for Amideast (Washington, D.C.) and Abt Associates (Cambridge, MA), respectively. She later became Country Risk Analysis Manager at the Bank of New England in Boston, supporting international lending. Following the bank’s failure in 1991, she transitioned into credit policy work, first with the bank and then with RECOLL Management, a successor entity responsible for resolving the bank’s underperforming domestic loan portfolio.
Judy reconnected with Grant in 1988, and they married in 1989. In 1993, she joined his construction management company, which was stable and poised for growth. For two decades, she served as Marketing and Personnel Director for GF Rhode Construction Inc., bringing energy, warmth, and organizational strength to a growing team of construction managers and supervisors.
Judy and Grant worked side by side until retiring from the construction industry in 2014, when they returned to their early shared passion for international work. Since then, Judy has served as Director of Development at Primary Source, a nonprofit dedicated to global education. Primary Source is a well-known provider of professional development and curricula to K-12 teachers, and many Fletcher faculty have participated as presenting scholars in Primary Source courses and programs since its founding in 1989.
After Fletcher, Grant began an academic career as Assistant Professor of Politics at UMass Boston, teaching Chinese and Japanese politics, Chinese foreign policy, and U.S.-Pacific relations. At the time, career prospects in academia were uncertain. Having supported himself through his undergraduate program by working in construction, Grant decided to spend three years in the building industry to establish financial stability. Those three years became thirty. Grant founded and led Boston Woodworks Inc. (architectural millwork), Newline Construction Inc. (commercial general contracting), and GF Rhode Construction Inc. (residential and light institutional general contracting).
After he wound down his construction career in 2014, Grant rebuilt his scholarly life around research, writing, and teaching affiliations at the Center for the Study of Asia at Boston University, the Fairbank Center for Chinese Studies at Harvard, and the China Maritime Studies Institute at the U.S. Naval War College. His recent work includes two major books: Great Power Clashes upon the Maritime Silk Road (Naval Institute Press, 2023) and Traversing the Belt and Road (Harvard University Press, forthcoming 2026). From 2026 to 2028, Grant will serve as Wutong Chair Professor at Beijing Language and Culture University, teaching the history of diplomacy while pursuing new research projects.
Since 2022, Grant has forged a new persona as Viking Resident Historian on Viking Ocean cruise ships, lecturing on subjects related to cruising itineraries. Grant and Judy have traveled with Viking on two cruises annually, having visited Southeast Asia and Australia, the Caribbean and Panama Canal, the Mediterranean, and ten weeks of cruising on the coast of China. This year, they will be exploring the British Isles and Scandinavia by sea and will return again to the Mediterranean.
At a recent Fletcher reunion in Washington, Judy and Grant were delighted to see that the reception millwork that Boston Woodworks had built for the U.S. Institute of Peace on the National Mall remains in excellent condition, a quiet reminder of how their professional lives have intersected across decades and disciplines.
Their family life has been equally rich. Their daughters, Lauren (born 1989) and Jamie (born 1992), were raised in Brookline and educated in excellent public schools. After graduating from Princeton, Lauren served as China Country Director for U.S. Secretaries of Defense Chuck Hagel and Ash Carter, then spent a decade as a tech executive in San Francisco. As a member of the U.S. women’s national rugby team, she met teammate Jade McGrath. They married in 2022 and welcomed their son Malakai in 2025. Lauren recently returned to Princeton, where she is Executive in Residence in Technology Licensing and coach of the women’s varsity rugby team.
Jamie trained in studio art at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and is completing a graduate degree in digital design and fabrication at SUNY New Paltz. Her ceramic sculpture has been exhibited at galleries in Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and New York. She has also worked as a cartographer for Grant and other scholars, supporting their writing projects. Judy and Grant take great pride in the varied and creative paths their daughters have forged, with threads of Fletcher’s global spirit clearly woven through the family story.
Jim Pavle, F75, F76 & Nancy Wolf, F75, F76
How did you first meet?
The first night before classes started at a “mixer” outside in the Fletcher Hall courtyard.
How long have you been together?
Since that first night, Sept 10, 1974, with one short break up (Jim in NYC, Nancy in D.C. at law school). Then, married May 28, 1978, with many Fletcher friends in attendance.
What has your life looked like since Fletcher?
Married 47 years and counting. Two adult kids, two grandsons, same house, weathered several serious medical issues, stayed in touch with our Fletcher friends, ironically, neither Jim nor I had jobs in the international field (though after law firm retirement, I teach English as a Second Language to adults). We had a wonderful time at our 50th reunion last May, 2025.
Is there anything else you’d like to share?
Our class seemed to be very socially interactive with each other. I bet we produced more marriages than other classes.