Story by Emily Williams, Features Editor
Photo courtesy of Emeline Ojeda
It was syllabus day in COM 384 for Emeline Ojeda and Ray Hecht in the spring of 2015 when they first locked eyes across a classroom in Wilson Hall.
For Ojeda, it was a moment that did not seem significant at the time, but has become a very fond memory of noticing a man in a classroom that seemed to stand out from all the rest.
“I chalked it up to him being more mature and rooted in who he was, but I also think it’s because he was very different from everyone else, for me,” Ojeda said. “He definitely was attractive but that first semester we met I was not looking for anything.”
For Hecht, he knew from the moment he saw Emeline that she was something special.
“She was really cute and I wanted to find a reason to start talking to her,” Hecht said. “Luckily it was an organizational communication class and everyone is so outgoing that I didn’t stand out too much when we first starting chatting in class.”
But it wasn’t until their second semester of class together that the two began to form a true connection that would only grow deeper and more meaningful.
“I was extremely drawn to him,” Ojeda said. “I just really wanted to spend more time with him and get to know him more. We sat next to each other in this second class we had together and I just got butterflies around him all the time.”
Hecht said it was important to him to make friends with Emeline first.
“There was an immediate connection when we first met, but we took the time to become friends first,” Hecht said “Before making my intentions clear, I got to know Emeline and saw that she was someone that I was truly interested in, not just a person that I was attracted to.”
Ojeda said Hecht got her number from the two being paired into a group together for a project.
“Somehow we went from texting about class questions to just carrying on the conversation all day long,” Ojeda said. “We also started to walk from Wilson to the Curris Center together when we left class, so that was more time to talk.”
The couple officially began dating in the fall of the same year they met. They recall that some of the sweetest memories from their early days of dating were on Murray State’s campus.
Hecht said one of the first times the couple hung out on campus was when they were “studying” in Waterfield Library. He said it was really just an excuse for them to hang out.
While we were there, we noticed a book on a nearby shelf called ‘Emmaline’,” Hecht said. “Emeline is a unique name and it was a strange coincidence to see a book with her name on it, even though it was spelled wrong.”
Ojeda said some of her earliest memories with Hecht were of him supporting her involvement in the Greek community, even though he himself was not Greek.
“I was Alpha Sigma Phi’s sweetheart and a Kappa Delta when we first started dating and he was very open and supportive to me being busy and having all these events to go to,” Ojeda said. “One of my favorite nights was when I gave my farewell sweetheart speech to Alpha Sigma Phi and then immediately went with Ray to Kappa Delta’s formal. He was so happy to dance away the night with me, and I just felt so loved and supported very early on.”
The couple was involved in student ambassadors together, so they said they did a lot of Murray State recruitment events together like tours, Honors days, Racer days, etc.
“On dates, we ate at some of the good places in Murray a lot,” Ojeda said. “Burrito Shack was our go-to place and they actually are catering our wedding so that’s really awesome.
Ojeda said on their first date, they went to Cheri Theatres and saw The Hunger Games. Not wanting their evening to end after the movie, they went to the movie store and rented more movies to watch together that night.
It was nearly two years later when Hecht got down on one knee in Wilson 307, the exact same classroom the Racer couple met in and asked Emeline to be his forever.
Ojeda said that while the couple knew they were approaching this level of commitment in their relationship, she did not see the proposal coming at all.
“While he was proposing, I was just trying very hard to focus on what he was saying and take in the moment,” Ojeda said. “He quoted some amazing scripture and had such sweet and amazing words to say. After the proposal, I was just thinking that the rest of my life was right in front of me and it brought me so much joy knowing it was with him.”
The couple is very grateful for their time at Murray State and how the university brought them together. They said they plan to carry on the tradition of The Shoe Tree at Murray State, a tree dedicated to now married couples who met at Murray State. The old tree has several old shoes of all types and sizes nailed to it, to represent each individual love story that originated on campus. The couple said they are proud to add to this legacy.
“We both are very rooted in Murray State,” Ojeda said. “We both were heavily involved in our undergrad careers. So the shoe tree is just a tradition that is close to our hearts. It’s also just a very beautiful way to make our marks and we are especially excited to show a piece of our time at Murray.”
Ojeda and Hecht will marry in Murray in May.