How love blossoms at Richmond

To celebrate Valentine’s Day on 14 February, we asked some of our alumni who met through studying at the University to share their stories!

Our thanks go to Emily and Amir Asgari and Alessandra Lupski and Sanjay Raja for sharing their journey, this is what they told us.

Emily & Amir Asgari

“Amir and I met at the Richmond campus, even though we were not (yet) on the same course and were not in the same year group. I believe I was playing tennis at the Richmond campus when we first met, and Amir and I were introduced by some other students under the big tree in front of the main door.  

Amir and I have been together as a couple since 2006 (almost 18 years), but we have been married since August 2011 (12 years). 

I can’t stress how much London, and RAUL in particular, mean to Amir and I. It’s hard to think how Amir and I would have crossed paths otherwise. But a girl from California and a boy from Iran both decided to go and study in London at RAUL, and the rest is history. Not only did I find my partner in life at Richmond, we also made so many lifelong friends from all around the world. It was a truly unique experience and time we look back on often and cherish. It was also the pivotal stepping stone to the rest of my academic and professional career. My time at Richmond provided a solid academic basis for my move on to law school in US, and eventually my LLM in London and now my PhD in Edinburgh.”

Alessandra Lupski & Sanjay Raja

“We each had roommates/flatmates from Kosova who introduced us during Sanjay’s first year (shout-out to Gresa Rexhepi and Enkele Rama!).

We were friends for a few years before becoming a couple!

We got married in 2016 and are happily settled in London with our dog and two bunnies.

Richmond has had a huge impact on our life – not only was it where we met but it also gave us a home in London and friends all around the world.”