ABINGTON, Pa. — Leilani (Tesoro) Fox and Kevin Fox first crossed paths in 2002 as Penn State Abington students when they volunteered as Lion Ambassadors, leading tours for visitors. However, it wasn’t quite love at first sight.
"We started randomly talking at a fall open house. He had a beard, and I’m thinking, who is this old guy?” Leilani, who graduated in 2004 with a corporate communication degree, said with a laugh.
Kevin had similar questions about the "height-challenged" Leilani.
“She looked like she was 12 years old. I thought maybe she was a child prodigy attending college,” he said.
But their relationship flourished, and they soon discovered that they had much in common. Both were the first in their families to attend college, and they managed coursework while going all in on student life at Abington. The pair bonded over their service as Lion Ambassadors and orientation leaders, and Kevin supported Leilani’s dedication to cheerleading and her work in the admissions office.
They worked together at a high-end candy store at one point to pay the bills while Kevin also toiled away in construction and Leilani was employed at a pizza shop.