Like many colleges, Colgate University has its tall tales about how to find your one true love while on campus. The legend goes as follows: those who share their first kiss on the stone bridge on Willow Path are destined to marry and be together forever. While the willow trees might make for a romantic setting for a first kiss, it is impossible to say if this folklore holds any truth. However, Colgate has indeed produced many successful couples over the years, even if it is years after the couple’s graduation days. Steve McLaud ’92 and Tiffany McLaud ’94 are one of these couples.
During their time on campus, they were both members of Greek life organizations. Additionally, Tiffany McLaud was a member of the Colgate women’s soccer team and a writer for The Colgate Maroon-News. Their story is unique from most of the couples that end up together from Colgate, as they didn’t know each other particularly well throughout their time on campus.
“Our friend groups were very intertwined at Colgate. I knew most of Steve’s friends better than I knew him. I knew who he was at Colgate, but we didn’t really speak,” Tiffany McLaud explained.
After his graduation, Steve McLaud moved to West Hartford, Conn. After her graduation, Tiffany McLaud moved to Bucks County, Pa. However, this didn’t stop their paths from crossing, and on one New Year’s Eve, they reconnected.
“We started talking when we would run into each other at parties after we graduated. In fact, the first real conversation that I remember was at a New Year’s Eve party in New York City the year I graduated,” Tiffany McLaud recounted.
They continued to stay in touch after New Year’s, meeting again at a friend’s party in Waccabuc, N.Y. Shortly afterward, Steve McLaud came down to Bucks County. The two made it official in the summer of 1995.
Nevertheless, starting a relationship came with challenges of its own. Both were long-distance for the first two years they were together.
“I had moved back home for the summer, as I was coaching soccer and was transitioning schools. We commuted to see each other every weekend until we moved in together in the fall of 1997. I was working at FDU-Madison in New Jersey, and he was still in West Hartford. Every Friday night, one of us would drive to see the other,” Tiffany McLaud said.
Despite the logistical challenge of dating while living in different states, the pair got engaged after nine months of dating in March 1996. They were married in July 1998. This year, they are coming up on their 27th wedding anniversary.
While they might not have spent any time as a couple while attending Colgate, their experience at the University still connects them.
“Colgate is a wonderful place, but what made the experience so meaningful is the people we spent it with. That’s what you remember,” Steve McLaud said. “It’s great to have a big group of common friends.”
The strong ties to Colgate have prompted the pair to stay involved in campus activities, even more than 30 years after crossing the stage at commencement. Currently, Tiffany McLaud serves on Colgate’s Alumni Council as the regional director of the Metro II region, which covers much of New Jersey.
“I was asked [to join], which was pretty cool. I like getting to hear from the administration on the plans for Colgate and connecting with other alumni,” Tiffany McLaud explained.
Her involvement is a testament to how pivotal her Colgate experience was to her life.
“To me, Colgate was a wonderful experience where I met some amazing people,” Tiffany McLaud said. “When you live in the middle of nowhere where there are limited things to do, you really bond with the people that you share that experience with.”
Colgate undoubtedly fostered a unique environment for Tiffany McLaud’s personal, academic and professional development.
“It was also a place that encouraged civil discourse. You were able to talk about differences and learn about other points of view. That is probably my biggest takeaway from my Colgate education,” Tiffany McLaud said. “I actually recruit people now with different styles and points of view so that we can discuss issues and find better solutions. It is also something that we are missing today as a country.”
Today, Steve and Tiffany McLaud are still happily married and have three sons: Jack, Collyer and Teddy McLaud.
“We have three awesome boys. Twins that are sophomores in college — Jack is at Bucknell University and Collyer is at Northeastern University. It’s pretty cool to have them going to very different places. I love the conversations when they come home and hearing about the similarities and differences in their experiences. Teddy is a sophomore in high school, so we are about to start the college process again,” Steve McLaud said.
They are not just active in the Colgate community, but also in the community where they currently reside in Mendham, N.J.
“Steve is a teacher and is on our local school board. I work at Ultima Health Products making delicious electrolyte drinks without all the junk. We love spending family time together, whether it is watching soccer, playing golf, hiking and fishing or playing with our three dogs,” Tiffany McLaud said.
While Steve and Tiffany McLaud may not have shared their first kiss on the fated Willow Path, their love story is still deeply tied to the connections they made at Colgate. From intertwined friendships on campus to an unexpected reunion after graduation, their journey proves that meaningful relationships can take root in surprising ways. Decades later, their bond with Colgate remains strong through their continued involvement with the University and the lifelong friendships they cherish.
Their story is a reminder that love isn’t always immediate — it can grow from the connections we cultivate over time. This Valentine’s Day, it’s important to appreciate not just romantic relationships, but also the friendships that may one day lead you to ‘the one.’
