Augie Sweethearts: Phillip Nava and Martha Hanson, Class of 1993

Submitted by Phillip Nava of Mount Prospect, Ill.

In 1989, as a young, immature freshman at Augie, I pledged Poobah along with my other baseball and Erickson 2D mates and had a lot of fun. At fraternity events and parties, and then as the Poobah social chair I was fortunate to meet Martha, from New York, who was the COG social chair. Over the next four years, we both dated others, but always maintained a strong relationship, with many laughs and good times.

Admittedly, as a collegian, I was not interested in a serious relationship and it was not until shortly after graduation, when I started by professional career, a few of the old college friends got together when we reconnected. Lucky for me, she had just returned from working in Europe and was not dating anyone. We had such a wonderful time reconnecting and reminiscing about our Augie experiences and it dawned on me what a beautiful and wonderful person she was inside and out and that I really knew that all along but was too dumb to realize it.

Martha is now my lifelong partner and we have made a wonderful life together, 20 years of marriage this March, four kids, and we live and work in Chicagoland. We are forever thankful to Augie!