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鈥淗e kind of smiled and waved,鈥� Garrison recalled, 鈥渁nd then he ended up coming to talk to us.鈥�

From that chance meeting, a friendship blossomed, and by the following summer, they were dating.

Today, some three years later, on the cusp of their commencements, the pair has evolved into something of a power couple, Davis College-style.

A native of Fredericksburg, Virginia, Garrison is graduating with a degree in management and minors in marketing, economics and music industry. Keplinger, from Haymarket, Virginia, double-majored in finance and accounting. They鈥檙e both staying on for another year while they earn their MBAs.

In retrospect, things could all have gone much differently.

Well before the fateful pingpong ball, Keplinger had initially planned to major in cybersecurity but decided he needed to work in a field that was more people-oriented.

A classical pianist for well over a decade, Garrison said she originally considered auditioning for Julliard, but her facility with numbers and knack for organization won out: 鈥淚 felt like business was going to be the best route, and there鈥檚 a huge demand for good business minds in the music industry.鈥�

In many ways, they鈥檙e complementary opposites: She describes herself as 鈥渞isk averse鈥� and admits, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 like making mistakes at all; I鈥檓 a huge perfectionist,鈥� while he said that when he came to Radford, 鈥淚 just decided to get involved in as much as I possibly could 鈥� that when people ask me to do things, I鈥檓 just going to say 鈥榶es,鈥� and I ended up in a lot of different organizations and positions because of that.鈥�

Indeed, as undergraduates, they participated in a host of clubs and groups, including the Student Managed Investment Portfolio Organization. He鈥檚 been the community service secretary for the Student Finance Committee, and for the past two years, she鈥檚 served as president of Delta Sigma Pi, the professional fraternity for business scholars.

鈥淗onestly, I don鈥檛 think I would be nearly as good a student if it wasn't for her,鈥� Keplinger said. 鈥淪he鈥檚 easily one of the best students I've ever met, so she sets a higher standard academically, and I have to work a little harder, but I like that.鈥�

Garrison, too, feels their relationship is mutually beneficial: 鈥淧atrick keeps me grounded because I tend to put too much on my plate. With all the organizations and scheduling and everything, he helps me slow down a little bit.鈥�

By attending Radford, Garrison is not just accepting a torch that鈥檚 been relayed to her through several relatives; she鈥檚 also passing it down the line. While her uncle and his wife were both Highlanders, and her older brother, Nathan Garrison 鈥�12, attended Radford, her younger brother will start his freshman year this fall.

She and Keplinger have also held jobs that, at their essence, give back to Radford. They've worked as tutors on campus, and for the past two years, he鈥檚 been a residential advisor.

鈥淚 felt like I was fulfilling a need, which I really enjoyed,鈥� he said, 鈥淏ut I also got to meet so many different students with different majors.鈥�

As the couple moves nearer to the end of their college experience and closer to the working world, they鈥檙e reflective about their time at Radford and the people who taught them.

鈥淚 probably learned just as much, if not more, from the interactions I've had with professors, speaking to them about their life experiences,鈥� Keplinger said. 鈥淪omething I like about the business college is that most of the faculty worked in the industry and worked in the field in different areas before they started teaching, so they know exactly what we鈥檙e about to go out and try to do, which is really helpful.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 been a really, really good education,鈥� Garrison said. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 think I would be nearly as prepared for real corporate America if I didn't have the teachers that I had. And I still remain close with some. We both do. And that鈥檚 really impactful for me because they鈥檙e great mentors.鈥�