It all started with her smile. The rest is history. Such is the love story of two Davis & Elkins College alumni who experienced Cupid’s arrow just in time for Valentine’s Day.

Kaylee Yergeau was among the first students I met upon my arrival at D&E in 2016 as she began her sophomore year. Kaylee came to Elkins from a small city across the Puget Sound from Seattle, Washington, recruited to play women’s basketball. Two years later, Tycen Allan arrived on campus as a freshman men’s lacrosse recruit from a small town in western Canada. They met soon after Tycen’s arrival.

Kaylee remembers thinking Tycen was shy–but cute. For Tycen, it was all about her smile “…and those beautiful brown eyes.”

There are two twists in this love story. The first came when they began dating, about seven months after Tycen arrived on campus. Kaylee was just weeks away from graduation and had already been accepted into West Virginia University’s doctoral program in physical therapy. Their budding relationship quickly became long distance. Nevertheless, these two overcame the miles.

January 22, 2022 is a day forever etched in their memories. That particular January day was cold and snowy–classic West Virginia winter. Tycen convinced Kaylee to take a road trip to Blackwater Falls State Park, about 45 minutes from campus. There, surrounded by snow and the beauty of the falls, Tycen asked Kaylee to be his wife.

With graduation for both of our lovebirds in May 2022, the second twist came when Tycen was required to return to Canada as he pursued a non-student “fiancée” visa that would allow him to live in the United States. For the next nineteen months, the visa approval process dragged on, separating them by thousands of miles.

Except for a rare visit, Kaylee busied herself as she took a job as a physical therapist in Elkins and Tycen went to work in Canada. This couple learned that absence makes the heart grow fonder. More than a year and a half of separation proved their love could overcome any obstacle. Finally, with visa in hand, Tycen arrived in Elkins on March 1, 2024. Just thirteen days later, on March 14, 2024–exactly five years to the day after they began dating–Kaylee and Tycen became Mr. and Mrs. Allan. Blackwater Falls once again served as their cathedral.

Today, Tycen is the head coach of the men’s lacrosse team at D&E. Kaylee continues her work as a physical therapist in Elkins and nearby Parsons. Neither anticipated calling Elkins home after college, but they now say, quite simply, that they are home.

Recently, Kaylee and Tycen shared exciting news: Baby Allan will make his debut this June. The soon-to-be parents report feeling both excited and terrified. Knowing them as I do, their deep love for one another–and the care and respect they demonstrate to everyone they meet–will make them exceptional parents. D&E already looks forward to welcoming Baby Allan into the Class of 2044.

Perhaps Cupid’s arrow is aimed at another pair of students today. Happy Valentine’s Day to all our Davis & Elkins College lovebirds–past, present, and future.

The journey continues…