Suzy and Robert at their graduationA backpack on wheels, and some slightly dubious computer glitches, helped love to blossom for Suzanne and Robert Capper. The couple met at BU in 2004, while both were studying an MA in 3D Computer Animation. They now live in Canada with their son, Benjamin, and recently celebrated 10 years of marriage.
Suzanne said: “When I started university I had a backpack on wheels which I would roll around campus. It became a bit of a running joke and eventually I got rid of it. Before I did, I remember rolling it up the corridor and Robert and his best friend turning around to see what the noise was. I recognised them from our orientation and said ‘hey’. They both turned back around as if they wished they hadn’t seen me. Little did they – and I – know that I would marry one of them and the other would be a groomsman at our wedding!
“As we became friends, and romance began to blossom, I would make excuses for Robert to come over and fix my computer, even though I could easily have figured out the issue myself. Our first date was tennis and Chinese food, which was a lot of fun. By this stage, we only had two weeks to go before our final projects were due in. We kept things secret so as not to distract any of our friends from their work and sneaked around feeling a bit like Chandler and Monica from Friends. By the time we handed our projects in and told people, everyone already knew. I guess we were not that subtle!”
After graduating together in 2005, Suzanne moved to London and Robert moved to Manchester. They continued to date long-distance until Suzanne’s Visa meant that she had to move back home to America. After some much longer-distance dating, the couple secured jobs and work permits in Toronto, Canada. They married in Niagara Falls in 2009 and had their son in 2017.
Suzanne said: “Benjamin is definitely a Bournemouth baby. We have a lot to be thankful for. Particularly Bournemouth University which changed our lives for the better. When I arrived at university I was hoping to meet someone, or even just get a few dates. I chose to study in a different country so that it would be an adventure and it certainly was!”