Student loans – two ugly words that loom over many students as graduation draws nearer. For some, it makes focusing on anything other than finding jobs or internships nearly impossible, but junior Robert Pace and senior Charley DiBartolomeo have decided to focus less on loans and more on love.
Around a month ago, Pace proposed to DiBartolomeo. The pair had been dating for a year-and-a-half after initially bonding over a black cat named Jasper during an InterVarsity Christian Fellowship prayer meeting.
“I was more anxious (than nervous),” said Pace, on the time leading up to his proposal. “I don’t like hiding things from her – if it’s going to be a surprise I have to hide it, and she could tell I was hiding something so I was just happy to have everything out in the open.”
DiBartolomeo remembers feeling shocked, not because she didn’t want to get married, but because of the weight of what it meant for both of them. Soon after Pace graduates next June, the pair are expecting to tie the knot in Maui, a location chosen to limit the guest list to family and very close friends and because of the couple’s connection to it (Pace has visited before and DiBartolomeo is interested because of her love for marine biology).
“One of my friends took it kind of badly and she was like, ‘why are you engaged now? What’s the rush?’” DiBartolomeo said.
DiBartolomeo points out that there’s a difference between getting engaged and actually being married.
“Her argument was like, ‘if nothing’s going to change, why now?’ and if nothing’s going to change then why not now?’”
So far, the couple have their song and colors (a deep blue, a rich sage green, and gold) picked out, but are holding off on logistics until they visit DiBartolomeo’s sister in April.
“I think then when we’re with my family, we can really sit down and talk about budget, venue – my sister and my mom will just go crazy. I think that’ll be when we really start to plan it out more,” DiBartolomeo said.
Although neither are opting for total extravagance at their wedding, money is still a concern for DiBartolomeo who took out student loans to pay for school. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics from a USA Today article from last June, tuition at colleges universities has risen by an average of 7.5 percent a year when inflation averaged 3.3 percent, making it increasingly difficult for students to get out of debt.
“He doesn’t have any student loans out so he’s not in debt. I am, and so the burden of that is lessened a little because we can share that and I really appreaciate that,” said DiBartolomeo. ”But I’m worried because I don’t want to take advantage of anyone. I know my parents want to totally support anything we want, but we both want to contribute to that.”
Despite DiBartolomeo’s concerns, the couple believes things will work out. Pace is currently looking for a job and DiBartolomeo is hoping to find a job in Eugene after graduating to save for their wedding.
“I’m not worried. I know God will provide, and as long as we’re together it doesn’t matter,” said Pace. “We’ll make money.”