Mckenzie Sachs and Andrew Greenblatt found love at Off the Waffle. Photo courtesy Mckenzie Sachs and Andrew Greenblatt.  

Mckenzie Sachs, BS '15, MS '18, and Andrew Greenblatt, BS '17 

When Andrew Greenblatt, BS ’17, met Mckenzie Sachs, BS ’15, MS ’18, for their first date at the Off the Waffle in downtown Eugene, there was an instant attraction. Amid the sugary sweetness of breakfast foods, they talked about everything under the sun, from their shared love for travel to a passion for taking advantage of all of Oregon’s natural beauty.  

Both undergraduate students at the time—Andrew seeking a degree in journalism and Mckenzie pursuing one in communication disorders and sciences—the two were very focused on their academic futures. What they did not know, however, is that that future would include them tying the knot nearly five years later.

“I was very planned out,” said Mckenzie. “From the time I entered my undergrad I was like ‘here is my seven-year plan.’ I was ready to go and very determined to not let a guy change that.” 

It worked out, though, because Andrew was completely on board with that. A self-described meticulous planner himself, Andrew felt that the relationship had to progress on a logical step-by-step basis.

However, after several years spent dating long distance, which “definitely tested (them) but ultimately made (them) stronger,” according to Andrew, and included Mckenzie spending a community service year abroad in Croatia, the couple decided they were ready to settle down.  

Mckenzie knew something was suspicious when Andrew changed their plans to visit family, deciding to come visit her instead. At the time, he was employed by the Sacramento Kings basketball team, working in advertising, and Mckenzie had just finished her master’s degree at the UO. 

Andrew finally popped the question at Doran Beach in Bodega Bay, California, and it goes without saying that Mckenzie said “yes!”

The two were married shortly thereafter in the summer of 2018, becoming Mr. and Mrs. Greenblatt. The wedding was intimate, with a partially outdoor venue featuring flower arrangements made by Mckenzie’s grandmother— elements that Mckenzie said were essential to her idea of a perfect wedding. But, for Andrew, the beauty of the wedding was not his favorite part.

“For me, the part that really stands out to this day is that we wrote our own vows,” he said. “The one thing I can picture clear as day is standing there looking at her as she is reading her vows to me and just trying to keep it together.”

“Trying” is the operative word, because according to them both, the attempt was only mildly successful—though ever the sweeter for it.

Moving back to Eugene after the wedding was what they called “a pretty quick and easy decision.”

The now 26-year-olds both secured jobs working within special education and enjoy routine coffee shop dates and taking their Border Collie rescue, Bodie, to nearby parks to escape the pandemic blues.

“It has been really helpful having a dog in that sense . . . if we did not have a dog, there probably would not be that motivator to take a break from the screens for a while,” Andrew said. 

Bodie is, of course, named after their proposal spot, and he is the first in what Mckenzie hopes becomes a large family of herding dogs. 

“I want a very busy house,” Mckenzie said—something that Andrew admitted intimidates him. 

However, as proof that opposites do indeed attract, Andrew says that Mckenzie balances him out, bringing forward the more spontaneous side to him, and that he is looking forward to the future.

“Kids certainly are on the horizon, although we still differ on timelines for that,” Andrew said. 

The couple foresees themselves staying in Eugene for the next five to 10 years, as they have fallen in love with the town that brought them together. 

Andrew said the secret to their successful relationship has been learning each other’s love languages and they have proven that they are dedicated to preserving the most meaningful aspects of their relationship: in the house that they are currently remodeling hangs a dried flower wreath from their wedding, and the arch they were married beneath sits in their backyard.

They are proof that love can start local and stay local, too. Your best bet at finding what they have might be going to get breakfast food.

Katie Scherman and Mark McCambridge met online, had their first date at Tap and Growler, and now await the birth of their first child in Tokyo.

Katie Scherman, MFA '15, and Mark McCambridge, BA '05

UO alumni Katie Scherman, MFA ’15 and Mark McCambridge, BA ’05, had their first date at Tap and Growler and have been falling in love ever since. They now live together, with their Irish Setter Paul Taylor, in Tokyo. Their move was inspired by Mark’s position in Nike for the Tokyo Olympics.

While Mark was living in Corvallis he was convinced by friends to download Tinder, and just within his app's radius was Katie. A month later, at Tap and Growler, Katie and Mark had their first date.

“A huge part of the beginning of our relationship was we believed that it was two whole people coming together to make a bigger whole instead of two halves becoming one," said Katie. "And so we really valued our two lives and all that we've worked for to get to those places. So, I think he supported me and I supported him. And we just felt so fortunate that we found each other in order to make that a possibility.”

Katie and Mark are still very connected to the University of Oregon.

“Katie’s mom is the biggest Oregon sports fan,” Mark shared. "She is a fanatic Ducks fan. So fall season, pre COVID and before we moved to Japan, that was always a big part of autumn, going to games.”

“He would come see my performances at Dougherty Dance Theatre at the U of O and that was really special to share with him,” said Katie. Mark would even film Katie doing dances in the studio. “Eugene will always be really special because that’s where we met,” she said.

Katie is an award-winning dancer who graduated with a MFA in dance, and was awarded a graduate teaching fellowship at the university from 2012–15. In her final year in her graduate program, Mark began working for Nike and in 2017 the couple moved to Japan so Mark could lead Nike's creative team working on initiatives ahead of the Tokyo Olympics. 

Connections from the University of Oregon remain strong with Katie and Mark, even on the other side of the world.

“My relationship with the faculty carried forward and members of my cohort are my dear, dear friends, and actually the students too," said Katie. "Some of my students that were international students are here in Japan, and I've connected with them while living here. Actually, one of them collaborated with me on a piece that I took to a festival here. So there's been so many nice ties since the U of O that have that have followed me, especially to Japan.”

2021 will be an exciting year—in addition to the Tokyo Olympics, Katie and Mark are expecting their first child this spring. 

- Sage Kiernan-Sherrow and Riley Ovall, UOAA associates