CDEP Love
QUENTIN & DARLENA SLATE
How we met:
Quentin Slate and I first met in the fall of 1994. I was entering my second year as a CDEP student and he was an incoming freshman. We were in Dr. Crumbly's annual fall session where new students were introduced to continuing students. I stood in front of the group with the other upperclassmen and introduced myself. We met but no sparks were flying just yet. Soon after that, we met up again at the Georgia Dome during a football game between FVSC and Morehouse. We ran into each other near the restrooms - he was with some friends, I was in my Dancing Doll uniform coming from a bathroom break after the halftime show. In his words, he realized I had beauty and brains and was all in from then on.
Our time at FVSC/FVSU:
Our main connection was through CDEP, which had us tending to our studies with our classmates on a daily basis. We spent many a night in the all night study at the library - the all night study was where we officially became a couple on February 7, 1995. We also both found love for Alpha in the Valley, me for AKA (Alpha Beta, Spring 1995) and him for APhiA (Gamma Zeta, Fall 1995). We share fond memories of serving together (and stepping together) with our Brothers and Sorors, and had a bomb Skee-Phi Step Show in the Student Center in Spring 1996!
Our post-graduation journey:
As CDEP students, the second half of our studies involved transferring to UNLV to study our engineering disciplines. I was a year ahead, so my first year at UNLV was during Quentin's last year at FVSU. That year apart was tough on our relationship, and when Quentin transferred the following year, we had grown apart a bit. But the CDEP connection and our fraternity and sorority activities kept us engaged. No matter how we defined our relationship, we were always connected in some way. Upon my graduation from UNLV in 1999, I moved to Detroit to start my career at Ford Motor Company. Quentin was still very much an important part of my life, so I flew back for his graduation in 2000. From there, he went back home to start his career with Williams, Russell & Johnson in Atlanta. We each tried to move forward with our separate lives, officially ending what was left of our relationship in 2001, but we never lost touch. We never missed having a conversation on February 7th in any given year.
It turned out that I had a change of heart. I was scheduled for a recruiting trip at the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) conference in Orlando, FL, in 2002 and asked Quentin to meet me there. I pleaded my case, told them he had set a standard for me and I felt like we were better together than a part. He said he needed some time to think about it, trying to make me sweat. A week later, we were back together and have been together ever since.
Fort Valley is the birthplace of our love and appreciation for each other. We came together as young people with a strong value for our education and a desire to pursue higher heights. The drive that led us each to pursue math and engineering degrees further drove me to pursue an MBA from Indiana University. I then moved to Atlanta to start a new phase of my career and to be closer to Quentin. We got married on February 7, 2006. Later that year, Quentin started a new phase of his career with Burns & McDonnell and received his Professional Engineer license. He has celebrated 19 years at the company and now holds the title of Operations Director.
We just celebrated our 19th wedding anniversary, 30 years since we first became an item. Quentin loves his work and his company. I have been running my own bookkeeping firm for 13 years. We also have four amazing, smart and busy children who keep our schedules filled and our home full of excitement.
Wisdom for Today’s Students on Love, Relationships & Balancing School Life
First and foremost, Quentin and I were brought to Fort Valley to pursue an education. We encourage current students to always keep their education and their goals first of mind. When it comes to building a bond with a special person, you want to make sure that your goals and desires have common ground. Also, college is a time of personal growth and exploration. Take advantage of opportunities to become exposed to things and people outside of your norm. If you develop a special connection with someone, respect it, cherish it and be open to the possibilities. That special person may become a longtime friend–or lifelong partner.
