If you walked into a BCIT Broadcast and Online Journalism class 16 years ago, you may have caught the now BCIT alum Luke Mynott sleeping in the back the of class. Meanwhile, you would have noticed a very alert and focused Amanda Wilcox on the opposite side of the class, sitting right in the front.
“You know when they say opposites attract?” BCIT alumna Amanda. “We are very opposite people. I am an extrovert. Studious. Luke is very introverted.”
A self-proclaimed try-hard, Amanda wasn’t looking for love when she started classes at BCIT, though fate and Luke had a different plan. Luke and Amanda were in the same program and shared a mutual friend group that often hung out together.
“When she walked in the room, my attention was always drawn to her,” Luke reminisces.
The main hangout spot for their group was the BCIT pub, which was where the spark happened for Luke.
“This one time, we were playing pool and it kind of just clicked for me,” he recalls. That’s when he decided that he would try his hardest to get her attention romantically.
The two started to spend more time together and their romance gradually grew. Amanda realized that there was something really special about Luke: “There were so many little hidden treasures about him that I would find out every time.”
Even with their bond growing and the couple spending most of their free time together, Amanda was adamant that they keep their romance separate from school.: “I had big rules. You’re not allowed to sit with me in class. You’re not allowed to hold my hand in the hallways. This is school. School is supposed to be like work.” Laughing as they share this memory, Luke adds, “But I snuck so many kisses from her.”
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Strengthening their bond by experiencing the unknown together
The couple went through a lot of firsts together: buying a home, moving to a new city, getting married, and becoming parents. Both Luke and Amanda say that navigating through new experiences together helped them grow and stay connected.
“We’ve done all these things that we’ve had to hold each others hands [through],” explains Amanda, adding, “That’s always been really nice and we’ve always just really supported each other.”
How did they navigate through so many big experiences while being opposites? Luke says that they compliment each other. He goes on to say that he is detail-oriented while Amanda is a big-picture thinker. Luke says that they also find balance by recognizing the other person’s needs, especially as parents: “We’re really good at being patient and understanding the cues from the other person.”
As parents of two young children, Amanda shares that they have a balanced parenting style. “That actually is one thing that I have always loved about you,” Amanda says to Luke, adding “[you] allowed me to take a lead, and for us to be able to co-parent together.”
Their advice for students looking for love
When love comes in your path, this BCIT alumni couple, deemed as opposites, suggests that you stay open-minded. Amanda adds, “Maybe look over your shoulder at the back of the class. There could be someone good sitting back there.”
Do you have a BCIT love story you’d like to share? Contact us at alumni@bcit.ca.
Read more BCIT alumni love stories:
How educational drive and shared values brought this BCIT alumni couple together
BCIT alumni love story: how a cue-card mix-up led to a lifelong bond for alums Adrian and Michelle
Love conquers all: BCIT alumni couple share the secret to a 30+ year relationship