Alec and Catherine first met in college when they were both volunteering with the Penguin Players. Penguin Players is a community theater program at Northern Illinois University that pairs an adult with a disability, an artist, with a college student. Together the pair will learn a roll in a musical. Alec and Catherine met in February 2017 during the Grease musical. Alec and his artist were cast as "Doody". Catherine was volunteering for her second show helping with the programs social media as well as hair and makeup. At the time, Alec was injured. As the old saying goes "When a girl likes a boy, she is mean to him." Catherine took this to heart and poked plenty of fun at Alec. Alec and Catherine were both involved in Greek life on campus. Alec was a Sigma Nu and Catherine was a Sigma Sigma Sigma. One night, Catherine was attending a Sigma Nu party. She spotted Alec working security and went up to talk to him. Before she left, she made sure to ask for his phone number. The following week, Alec accidentally left his backpack in the theater after a Penguin Players practice. He texted Catherine to see if she could find it. From there on, the two began talking every day and the rest is history!