Love Blooms at FSC
From biology class to Greek Life to athletics, this Valentine’s Day five Farmingdale State College (FSC) alumni couples reminisce about finding their special someone and share post-graduation updates.
Samantha Pallini, '20, and Anthony Maglione, '21
Pallini, from Seaford, NY, a criminal justice: law enforcement technology graduate, is vice president of branding and social media at Republic Jet Center. Maglione, from Lindenhurst, NY, also a criminal justice: law enforcement technology graduate, is a technical account manager at Axon. They now live in West Babylon, NY.
The couple met in 2017 while taking a biology laboratory course in Hale Hall, where they “sat at the same table and worked together all semester,” said Pallini.
“Our first date was during the Covid-19 lockdown, so we planned an afternoon to walk on the beach at Robert Moses and get to know each other better,” she added.
Together for five years, the couple recently got engaged over the holidays and are now planning an October 2026 wedding!
“Anthony proposed to me in the Robert F. Ench Teaching Gardens on campus to pay tribute to where we first met!” Pallini said. “It was so beautiful and special to be proposed to there.”
Hope Scicutella, ’17, and Michael DeBlasi ’17
Scicutella, from Lindenhurst, NY, was a liberal arts and sciences major who now works as a local schoolteacher. DeBlasi, from West Islip, NY, was an FSC business major before joining an area police force as an officer.
The couple, who met on campus through their Greek-lettered organization participation (Sigma Delta Tau and Alpha Phi Delta), saw “Zoolander 2” at the Regal UA movie theater in Farmingdale for their first date.
Their favorite FSC memories include, “spending class breaks and free time in the campus center, dorms, and at countless Greek Life events with close friends,” said Scicutella.
Together for nine years and now married for two and a half, the South Shore couple welcomed their daughter, Madelyn, seven months ago and have another baby girl due this spring!
“I’m so thankful for FSC because of the forever love I found there,” said Scicutella.
Lauren Poplawski, ‘11, and Frank Ennis, ‘11
Poplawski and Ennis, both FSC business management graduates, now live in Charleston, South Carolina with their two children, Ashton, 6, and Shay, 3.
Dedicated student athletes, the couple first met in 2007 at Walt Disney World during spring training for the women’s softball and men’s baseball teams.
“We were best friends first and started dating in 2008,” said Poplawski, now Lauren Ennis. “Frank asked me to be his girlfriend at Nold Hall before our fall season started. Since we were such great friends before dating, our two favorite spots were University Bagel --which I now believe is Stuff-a-Bagel at the University--and Suburban Eats.”
The couple share many fond moments attending FSC’s intercollegiate athletic program games and events.
“Our favorite memory was always being able to go cheer each other’s games on since the fields were so close,” said Lauren Ennis. “I even got to go see him play in the World Series in Appleton, Wisconsin. We both won the Skyline Conference the same year and were able to have the ceremony together on the baseball field.
“It was also very special for our families to get together to watch both our games,” added Lauren Ennis. “My dad truly enjoyed that he got to watch Frank play, and my in-laws loved coming to see me as well.”
Kayla Canalini, ’18, and Kyle Brophy, ’17
Canalini, from Lake Grove, NY, was a science, technology, & society (STS) major who now works as a nurse. Brophy, from Wantagh, NY, also a science, technology, & society (STS) graduate, now works as a senior industrial hygienist and environmental consultant.
Founding members of FSC’s chapters of Kappa Sigma and Phi Sigma Sigma, the Greek Week champions met in the Campus Center during a Greek Life event.
“I bought ice cream and cones and brought them to the Campus Center for us to have a competition on who can eat the most ice cream,” Brophy said of their sweet first date.
While at FSC, they both worked at Talluci's Pizzeria (now Bellagio’s) across from Nold Hall Athletic Complex and “would participate in a lot of campus recreation teams like football, volleyball, basketball, and dodgeball,” said Brophy, who won Farmingdale Campus Recreation Intramural Athlete of the Year 2016-2017.
The worldly couple, who has lived in New York, Virginia, South Carolina, and Puerto Rico, now lives just outside Atlanta, Georgia.
“Kayla and I connected at Farmingdale over our love for travel,” said Brophy. “Since attending Farmingdale, we have been to 11 countries with highlights being our honeymoon in Greece or our time exploring the Galápagos Islands. We’ve also been to 31 states through a combination of work and vacation. We plan to continue our travels with a six-month trip around the world,” he added.
Together for 10 years and married for three and a half, the couple share two rescue dogs, Roo and Chef, and welcomed their baby, Koda, one and a half years ago. Baby number two is due this spring!
Caela Pentz, '16, and Cal Jimenez, '17
Pentz, from Huntington, NY, was a communications major who graduated magna cum laude. She now works as a marketing manager. Jimenez, from Patchogue, NY, was a science, technology, & society (STS) major who now works as a software engineer. Together since 2016, the couple, who live in Queens, NY, just got married last fall!
Pentz, past sunshine chair of Sigma Delta Tau, and Jimenez, past president of Tau Kappa Epsilon, met in 2015 through their Greek-lettered organization participation in the Campus Center. Jimenez also served as Student Government Association president for the 2016-2017 academic year.
“Cal took me to dinner at Trento in Farmingdale,” Pentz said of their first date. “We talked the whole time and barely ate our food.”
In between classes, Pentz and Jimenez "loved taking walks together in the gardens on campus," said Pentz. Their love story continued at the campus bookstore, where the pair shared a novel connection.
“In the summer of 2015, Cal was working at the college bookstore, and he helped me find my required reading for my classes,” said Pentz. “As we chatted about books, one in particular came up that I had to read for a class. I admitted I wasn’t a fan, and Cal, wanting to keep the conversation going, agreed that he didn’t like it either. What he didn’t reveal, however, was that the book was actually his favorite at the time,” she added.
But when it comes to seeing the world, this alum couple is always on the same page.
“I studied in Italy through the FSC Summer Study Abroad Program, and Cal came to visit me,” said Pentz. “This was one month into dating, and it worked out well! We still love going on trips and enjoy traveling together to this day.”
