Thanks to William (Bill) Giasi, CCAS BS '97, SMHS MD '03, and Kristina (Stephens) Giasi, CCAS BA '99, MA '03, for sharing their story!
I met my wife, Kristina Stephens, during my senior year at GW in 1997. That year, my friends and I rented a townhouse on 23rd Street and needed another roommate, and it was through that new connection that I met Kristina. She invited me to a Halloween party she and her roommate were having at their place in the Claridge House. It was not long after that we fell in love – our first kiss took place at GW’s homecoming a few weeks later.
After completing our undergraduate degrees at GW, we stayed to start our graduate programs. I attended the School of Medicine and Health Sciences and Kristina completed her master’s in art history at the Columbian College.
In 2001, we got married in Arlington, Virginia. We joked that in order to set our wedding date, it was essential to meet with the dean of the medical school to ensure it did not conflict with my third-year rotations! We drove into D.C. on our wedding day to take some of our photos at GW - the place that was so central to our lives.
[caption id="attachment_14764" align="alignright" width="300"] Bill and Kristina at Kogan Plaza on their wedding day.[/caption]
After completing our graduate degrees and walking at graduation together in 2003, Kristina went on to work for the National Gallery of Art and I continued our GW connection by starting my pediatric residency at Children’s National Medical Center. Our first daughter was born at GW Hospital while I was working there on my nursery rotation in 2006.
We finally moved physically away from GW in 2007, to Princeton, New Jersey. Despite the distance, we maintain a strong relationship with our alma mater. We routinely travel to D.C. and always make time to stop by GW when in town. We attended GW night at Yankee Stadium, and whenever GW is in town to play Princeton (as they were a few weeks ago) we will be there to cheer on the Buff and Blue.
GW has been such an important part of our lives and our friends’ lives, and it always will be. Maybe one of our daughters will have her own GW love story!