College Love Stories: Taylor & Vaughn, Penn State
Meet Taylor and Vaughn from Penn State University. They met during THON 2023 and have been inseparable ever since – even though they're currently long-distance :( Taylor recently graduated from Penn State with a degree in Civil Engineering and Vaughn is currently a senior completing his degree in Energy Engineering.
Feb 11, 2026
College love is truly special—not only because it creates a lifelong connection, but because it’s rooted in the spirit of your school. Once intertwined, it's a bond that remains unbreakable. Did you find love in college? We can't wait to hear all about your College Love Stories (romantic, BFFs, generational and everything in between)!
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Meet Taylor and Vaughn from Penn State University. They met during THON 2023 and have been inseparable ever since – even though they're currently long-distance :( Taylor recently graduated from Penn State with a degree in Civil Engineering and Vaughn is currently a senior completing his degree in Energy Engineering.
KC: How did you meet? Where?
T & V: We met at THON 2023! I was a sophomore, and he was a freshman. We were both new members in our orgs, who were partners (shoutout Chi Phi Rho!!!) It was dead hours, so we were trying to stay entertained by meeting everyone in the stands, and we ended up talking for the rest of THON (he saw me ugly cry during family hour very soon after we had met. It was so embarrassing).
KC: What significance does Penn State University and THON hold for you?
T & V: THON has been a very significant part of my life since that weekend. I was an out of state student, and had never heard of it. I wasn't part of an organization that was part of THON until my sophomore year, and didn't experience the magic until then. After that, I went to every THON event my organization had to offer, which definitely brought me and Vaughn closer, as he was going to all of the same events. Meeting our THON families was so special, and I will never forget the first times I met each of them. The both of us ended up doing 46 hours in the stands the following year, and leaned on each other a lot for that. Then the next year, my senior year and his junior year, he was able to dance for our organization. I wanted to dance with my best friend, Sarah, and there were simply not enough spots for us to dance together so we were an independent dancer couple together. After a long year of fundraising (all of which Vaughn supported of course), we were chosen to dance! All of my closest friends were dancing that year, and it was incredible. I was so lucky to share such a life changing experience with everyone I loved. I danced, I cried, I played with the kids, and had support from all directions while doing it.
KC: Do you think you would have ever met if it weren't for your school? Why or why not?
T & V: I believe that Vaughn and I would have met if it weren't for THON, but it helped us build a relationship so much faster. We were able to see each other often while doing something we were both passionate about (and again, him seeing me ugly cry very early on made things a lot easier).
KC: What's your favorite thing to do together? Why?
T & V: After graduating, I moved to North Carolina for a job, so we don't get to see each other as often. The few times we do get to see each other, though, we love to travel to new places and explore. We also love a good movie night in. It is fun to get out and about and see new things, but it is also very nice to sit back and relax and catch up now that we don't live within a mile of each other. And of course, we both love Penn State Football!!
KC: What advice would you give incoming first-years about meeting other people and relationships/friendships?
If I had to give one piece of advice to incoming first-years, it would be to GET INVOLVED!!! Everyone says it, but I didn't do much my freshman year. It left me longing for something to be a part of the next year, so I joined an organization. It was a STEM sorority (Phi Sigma Rho) which was perfect to me, as a woman in engineering. I met almost all of my closest friends through this org, and I wish I had joined sooner. Joining an organization can be so scary, especially if you don't know anyone else there, but that's the fun part!! Especially if the organization aligns with something you are interested in! You will find other people who love the same things you love, and you won't be able to believe that you hadn't joined sooner!
Huge thanks to Taylor and Vaughn for sharing your love story with us! We can't wait to see your love continue to grow (and for you to live within a mile of each other again!) <3
