My Flyer Family: Blue skies and knots tied

There’s nothing quite like a fall day on UD’s campus. The leaves are changing, the air is just the right temperature and everyone is buzzing to be back. 

My parents, Michael Burgess ’91 and Kelly Quinn ’90 met on one of those enchanting fall days in 1989. The Marianist brothers were hosting a welcome back barbecue for juniors and seniors who lived in the neighborhood around them. Serendipitously, my parents met at the event, striking up a conversation in the front yard.

Several years later, they were dragging me along to find that house and take a selfie in the front yard when I was visiting UD as a Flyer prospective student.

Growing up, my parents would dress my siblings and me in Flyer gear and I never had a doubt that I’d be wearing red and blue for the rest of my life. Despite being raised in Maryland and touring other schools, I knew in my heart that there wasn’t anywhere else for me. UD was the place.

Before I knew it, I was moving into Marycrest where my mom lived her first year, too. My siblings all went to other schools, but as I was hauling that blue bin around on move-in day, I got the feeling that they had missed out. 

A few weeks had passed and I was getting settled into my new normal. I’d met new friends and they would introduce me to more new friends – one of which would actually be my future husband. 

Like how my parents met by chance, it was in passing that I first met Michael Beiser ’21. He lived in Marycrest, we had mutual friends and on that brick-paved drive in front of our dorm, we were introduced to each other. We went our separate ways that day as he was a mechanical engineering major and I was studying education, but our paths continued to cross throughout the year and we began to fall in love.

After graduation, we took a trip to Mackinac Island, Michigan, and Michael proposed. As soon as we got engaged, we both knew, no question, that we had to get married in the chapel. 

I’m now a two-time Dayton graduate — I received another diploma in 2023 after completing the Lalanne program for education.

I didn’t think a fall day on campus could be beat, but on July 13, 2024, the sun had never shined brighter and the blue of the chapel matched the sky. Before our ceremony, Michael and I cruised around campus to take photos, making sure to get one in front of Marycrest. 

Dayton is the heart of Michael and I’s relationship so tying the knot on campus was so special. It meant so much to me to make that commitment and promise in the same place we met. 

Looking down at the chapel blue bouquet in my hands and taking in the smiles of our friends and family sitting in front of us, all I could think about was how I couldn’t wait to grow old with Michael and share the kind of long-lasting love my parents found in Dayton 30 years ago. 

We met each other and grew up together in this perfect community. I don’t know exactly what the future will look like from here, but I know our kids will apply to UD one day and I look forward to every moment shared with Michael till then.