This Valentine’s Day, Mercy College is excited to share the story of Lisa Mills-Campbell ’98, M.B.A. ’01, M.S. ’13 and Wayne Campbell ’00, M.S. ’14, two Mercy alumni who met on the Dobbs Ferry Campus in 1995, and for several reasons, consider Mercy their home away from home.
View their story .
Now director of community programs and events after holding positions throughout numerous departments at Mercy College, Lisa is as much in a close relationship with the College as she is with her beloved husband. “He tells me he loves me, like, constantly, every day. And his favorite thing to say is something like, “I would marry you all over again,” said Lisa.
When Lisa and Wayne met, little did they know that Mercy College would play an integral role in their personal and professional trajectories. Two immigrants from opposite ends of the island of Jamaica, not only did they fall in love at Mercy, get married soon after graduation and build a fruitful life in Westchester County, New York, but Lisa has been happily employed at Mercy for 19 years and their twin sons, Noel and Leon, both attend the College.
As a student worker for the Office of the Provost, Lisa conducted new student tours, one of which included Wayne. He remembers her vividly colored jacket, carefully set hair and Timberland boots. “I was impressed,” Wayne said. “But all the guys in school were chasing her, I had to take a different approach. I had to ignore her little bit.”
“He says that all the time. But that’s not true,” Lisa laughed. Lisa and Wayne bonded in Mercy’s cafeteria – during breaks from class they talked, reminiscing about home. According to Lisa, Wayne stood out from other suitors: “He was different, he was calm. He seemed to have an idea of what he wanted in life and where he wanted to go. He was kind and he made me laugh. You know, he still does.”
Lisa played volleyball at Mercy, and Wayne remembers attending her games: “A bunch of us, we went to all of her games. They had a very good team. We sang songs to cheer her on.”
Besides being ground zero for their courtship, Lisa and Wayne are grateful for the robust education they received at Mercy. Lisa received her bachelor’s in international business, master’s in business administration with a specialization in finance and a master’s in school psychology. Wayne received his bachelor’s in computer science and a master’s in cyber security and enjoys a career as a network engineer, building networks for state and local governments all around the country.
While the account of their engagement is more practical than fanciful – Lisa and Wayne decided to get married after graduation because it seemed like the logical next step. The way they supported each other in their early twenties and built a life together is heartwarming and aspirational.
“Financially we weren’t able to have a big wedding. We were first generation immigrants, so basically, we were starting our lives together – building up. It was just us.” Lisa recounted. “Then, we had the boys.” Lisa and Wayne’s children, Leon and Noel, both recently transferred to Mercy and are enjoying their experiences.
Lisa’s devotion to the College has reached greater heights as a Mercy mom and celebrated employee. “For some reason, Mercy, it just feels like home for me. I don’t know if it’s because it’s the very first place I came when I moved here, to America…it’s just very comfortable,” Lisa reflects.
Now with Leon and Noel grown, Lisa and Wayne enjoy traveling, learning about new cultures and spending time with their children when possible.
