By Michele Barletta

Love is in the air on the campus of Quincy University this fall as two new students transferred in to compete in their respective sports and complete their undergraduate degrees.

Hamish Pugh, who originally hails from New Zealand, transferred in as a junior on the men’s soccer team this fall. While Patricia Chavira becomes the latest addition to the growing women’s lacrosse program.

The couple met whilst attending Alderson Broaddus University, a private university in Philippi, WV.

Both Pugh and Chavira are settling into their new school well, emphasizing the differences between their previous school and QU.

“QU is a much bigger school, there’s more students, the campus is bigger and the sports facilities are a lot better,” Pugh said.

Pugh and Chavira both committed to QU over the summer. Chavira decided Quincy was where she wanted to go in June, while Pugh committed late into the summer, just a few weeks before the fall semester started.

“She committed to come here before I did, so when she told me about Quincy I did some research and spoke to Mike Carpenter and then it all just worked out from there,” Pugh said.

Although both Pugh and Chavira were keen on attending the same university, the couple didn’t want to just go somewhere if it wasn’t the right fit.

“We always said from the beginning that it would be cool to transfer together, but we wanted to make sure that we both found a school that would be good for us,” Chavira said. “It needed to work out for athletics and school also, and I guess we just got lucky.”

Pugh wasn’t always set on coming to QU, and was running out of time to make his decision.

“It was nearing the end of July, and I had to decide between coming here or going to Tiffin University,” Pugh said. “They also have a really good soccer team, and it was almost the beginning of the semester and I hadn’t committed anywhere yet, but I’m glad I chose QU in the end.”

Transferring can be a complicated and stressful process, which is why the pair didn’t want to add additional pressure by trying to factor each other in their decision.

“Going into the transfer portal and trying to find a school isn’t fun, which is why we didn’t worry too much about where we were going,” Pugh said.

Chavira is getting along well with her new teammates, but says she is grateful she had someone here when she first arrived.

“Coming here together made the beginning a lot easier for both of us I think, we had someone that we knew and we weren’t alone,” Chavira said.

“I’m just happy with how it worked out, I’m glad she’s here and I’m glad that I’m here,” Pugh said.