Sweet candidates for romance

by Denise LaPlante

The semester before my senior year at Whitworth University, I was trying to decide if I wanted any involvement on campus. Maybe I could become a Resident Advisor or lead a small group. The student government elections were also running. My friends and classmates decided to take part in my decision-making and gave me enough write-in votes to finish with the second highest total votes for Financial Vice President.

After the primary elections, I somehow found myself campaigning against the previously-unopposed Cory LaPlante, a guy whom I'd never really met before. Cory and I realized that we had a class in common and started to talk some. We left together from our debate against one another and spent the next few hours hanging out with his friends.

I was confident that he would win the election, but I stayed in the race, praying that God would show me where to be involved the next year. On the night of the election, I was more than shocked to get a phone call from Cory congratulating me for winning the FVP position! A series of strange circumstances added up to a 10-vote victory for me--the write-in candidate.

Given the somewhat awkward situation, Cory and I stopped spending time together for the rest of the school year. We still don't agree on which of us wouldn't make eye contact with the other. (But I can tell you, it was Cory. I tried.)

In the fall, I returned to campus, and a relationship was the furthest thing from my mind. I had a full load of classes and this crazy Financial Vice President position. Once again, Cory was in one of my classes. Slowly, we started talking again, ignoring the awkward way we had met. Within a few months, we both knew that the election had given us a much more valuable prize than any job ever could. We started dating that spring and have been together ever since.

After graduation, Cory and I had different reasons to leave the Northwest and try Colorado. Although we decided not to apply for the same positions this time, the competitive spirit that brought us together is still strong in both of us. Once I started a job in accounting at The Navigators, Cory decided he needed to work for the only ministry that has been in town longer--Young Life. He loves working in the accounting department there.

God has blessed both of us since we arrived in Colorado Springs. My parents (Dave and Sheri Hewett) met at Pulpit Rock 25 years ago, and it has been a wonderful church home for us as well. In November 2007, Cory and I were married, and we're looking forward to many more surprises together.