College is a special time in anyone’s life. Alongside the regular studies, for some, it can be where they meet the person they will spend the rest of their life with.

As Valentine’s Day approaches, The Beacon connected with alumni who met their forever partner at Emerson College to explore how pursuing higher education in an artistic atmosphere plays a role in finding love founded on shared creative interests. If you find yourself doubting whether you’ll be as lucky, don’t worry, these lovely alumni prove that it is possible to find love in the liberal arts.

Joan ‘12 and Jim Schubin ‘11 met at Emerson in 2010 and bonded through their shared passion for theater. At the time, Joan was a first-year theater education graduate student, and Jim was a senior musical theatre major, and they were brought together by a project from a class called Directing the Musical.

“One of my friends in the grad program was in this class. She cast me and Jim as [the romantic leads] in her miniature version of “Chess,” the musical,” Joan said.

Today, the couple live in New Jersey. Joan teaches middle school theater classes and Jim is a professional actor and voice teacher. Joan said she believes their experience in similar industries has led them to be more understanding of each others’ careers in their relationship. Just after they got married, Jim went on tour with “The Sound of Music” for a year, and their shared background in theater made it easier to deal with going long distance. 

“It wasn’t easy, but it was something that I completely understood. It was something that had to happen for this career, and I knew distance had to be part of it,” Joan said. “We always talk about ‘What if I wasn’t dating a theater person? Would they understand?’”

While having similar majors can be a great catalyst into a deeper relationship, it is definitely not the only way to make lasting connections.

Kendall ‘14 and Leanna Furtado ‘15 don’t share professions, but their creative spirits nurtured a strong bond based on their love for the arts. They met through a mutual friend at Emerson in 2014, and the rest is history.

“We were both transfer students and both grew up in the same hometown, but we hadn’t met yet,” Kendall said. “Once we were introduced, we fell for each other immediately and have been inseparable since.”

As luck had it, both Kendall and Leanna planned to move to Los Angeles the following year. When Leanna left to finish school in Emerson’s LA program, the couple turned the move into a memorable two-week road trip.

“We lived out in LA for five years. She worked in marketing for a hotel and I was in sales, freelancing for indie films on the side,” Kendall said. “We’re back in Massachusetts now, got married in 2023, and have three cats.”

Nowadays, Kendall is a video and social content specialist for Bristol Community College in Fall River, Mass., and Leanna is a podcast booking agent for Interview Connections, a podcasting company based in Rhode Island. Despite their differing passions, they find the time to bond over various creative outlets in their day-to-day lives.

“We’re forever trying new art mediums together,” Kendall said. “Having shared interests has definitely been something that helps to keep our relationship strong. We’re always creating together, going to art classes together, and watching films together.”

Whether you’re looking for love or seeking somewhere to take your partner this upcoming Valentine’s Day, there are numerous spots in the Boston area for all kinds of creatives to gather. For lovers of theater and performance, Joan recommends Club Café on Columbus Avenue for their musical theater Mondays. 

“It was all the hes, shes, theys, and gays at Club Café singing showtunes with a piano. And that was so delightful because there were a lot of Emerson people there and a lot of people that had been in Boston forever. That was really cute,” she said. “If you’re both musical and enjoy music, find a piano bar and just embarrass yourself in front of an audience.”

Similarly, Kendall encourages current students to put themselves out there if they are seeking long-term connections. She emphasizes not to be afraid to go to events regardless of who you’re going with, even if you’re going alone.

“Finding true love can happen at any time, anywhere, sometimes when you least expect it,” she said. “Say yes to invitations. Go to places where you are unsure if you’ll know anyone there. Talk to people that you don’t know.”

Joan also has fond memories of eating at Turner’s Seafood, where she and Jim often got dollar oysters, and Rock Bottom, a restaurant and brewery just a five-minute walk from campus. She also remembers going to the Italian liquor stores in North End that held free wine tastings and the InterContinental Boston hotel, which had board games in its lobby.

“Our first ‘official’ date night … we went to go play Scrabble in the lobby of the InterContinental hotel. We had Scrabble letters as our cake toppers for our wedding,” she said. With the grand opening of Griff’s Game Room this semester, perhaps we’ll see more stories like this unfold in the future.

Nevertheless, Emerson students don’t have to go very far to make lasting memories with their partners. Kendall and Leanna’s fondest memories were formed alongside their favorite tree in the Boston Public Garden. 

“We still go visit that tree, 12 years later and going strong,” Kendall said. “Everything happens for a reason, when it’s supposed to.”