met my boyfriend Joel outside of Washington, D.C., where I relocated after graduating from the University of Arizona. When we first started dating, we exchanged stories about ourselves to break the ice. I told him that I'd been Wilma the Wildcat, our mascot, my junior and senior years, and that I was "married" to the other mascot Wilbur. He could tell that I really enjoyed my time as a mascot and he knew that it was a special part of my experience at the U of A.
Fast forward two years later when Joel and I flew to Tucson to spend Christmas with my family. On Christmas Eve, the family decided to head to the campus and do a walking tour and take family pictures over by Old Main. When we arrived at Old Main, Joel asked me to wait there while he ran over to the student union. Twenty minutes later, we see Wilbur and a couple of cheerleaders walking toward us. I began chatting with the cheerleaders when one of them said, "Wilbur has something to ask you." I turned around and there was Wilbur, down on one knee. Then he took off the mask: It was my boyfriend Joel. It was definitely the most memorable day of my life, and I was so happy to have my "Wildcat" roots play a major part in it!