"Our Wittenberg Moment" 

For Sean ’06 and Joyce Dindo McKinniss ’06, cross-cultural studies proved the catalyst for a lifetime of love.

The year was 2003 when we first met in a Russian history class at Wittenberg. Back then, we were more of acquaintances as our schedules turned out to be quite similar, so we would see each other frequently in our political science classes.

That all changed in March 2005 when we were both presenting papers at a research conference about Russia at Ohio State University. It was there that the sparks flew, when Sean decided to ask me out to dinner. But before he could (or as I say, before he mustered up the courage), I asked him to be my date for the Gamma Phi Beta formal that spring. 

From that point on, the rest is history. We continued to date throughout our time at Wittenberg and then in graduate school (Capital Law School for me and Ohio State for Sean).

In 2008, Sean took me back to Hollenbeck Hall, the place where we first met, to propose. We got married in 2009.

Looking back, Wittenberg was and is one of our favorite places to be, and we owe so much to the university. Wittenberg shaped our personal and professional lives profoundly.  The relationships we developed with our professors, friends, and with each other made us into the people we are today. The university also reaffirmed our values, specifically those of mutual respect, love and adventure, and it is these values that keep us grounded, happy and excited for the future.

- Sean ’06 and Joyce Dindo McKinniss ‘06

Sean, a Springfield native, currently works at Worthington Industries in the Learning and Development department, while Joyce, originally from Akron, is an attorney at Jones Day in Columbus. The couple reside in Columbus, Ohio, with their 1-year-old daughter, Flora, and their dog, Bessie.

- Office of University Communications