College Students Meet on Shuttle Bus. Four Years Later, They Get Engaged on Same Ride

One couple decided to return to the very place where their love story began.

Thomas Scordino, a finance and marketing major at Boston College, teamed up with the school’s Office of Transportation and Parking to propose to his girlfriend, Sophia Paranzino, in an unlikely but deeply meaningful location: the center aisle of a Newton shuttle bus — the same spot where they first met as freshmen.

“He was wearing a Johns Hopkins shirt, and I’m from Baltimore, so I asked him about it,” Paranzino recalled to Boston College News. “We ended up talking for the rest of the ride.”

Those bus rides soon became a cherished part of their routine. Paranzino said the couple would regularly attend the 10 p.m. Candlelight Mass, take the shuttle back, and then spend hours walking around Newton Campus, getting to know each other.

“That campus played such a big role in our story as a couple,” she said.

Four years after that first meeting, Scordino reached out to Gabe Parker, the Director of Transportation, Parking and Contracted Services, hoping to recreate the moment for a proposal. To his surprise, Parker immediately agreed to help.

“He said, ‘Yes, we love it. Do it,’” Scordino recalled. “And I was like, ‘Oh, heck yeah.’ I’m so very, very grateful to them.”

Working alongside Boston Coach Supervisor Manny Alves, Scordino and Parker spent a week carefully planning the proposal so it wouldn’t disrupt regular shuttle service. Despite their best efforts to keep things secret, Paranzino began to sense something was up.

“He’s not a good liar, which I always say is a really good quality in someone I want to marry,” she joked. “He was acting very suspicious.”

On the big night, the couple boarded a bus labeled “special event” and sat in the same seats they used to share years earlier. After Scordino delivered an emotional speech, he got down on one knee in the middle of the aisle as a photographer captured the moment through the bus doors.

Parker said the experience was just as meaningful for those helping behind the scenes.

“Working out the logistics with Thomas was a joy,” he said. “Here’s a college student worried about midterms and his future career, and he still took the time to plan something so thoughtful. We were happy to be a small part of it.”

The newly engaged couple later celebrated with friends and family at a party featuring a cake decorated with a fondant shuttle bus and the message: “Congratulations Thomas & Sophia … the real magic school bus.”

Reflecting on how it all started, Scordino offered simple advice.

“It’s a good reminder to be aware of who’s around you,” he said. “Don’t always have your head down in your phone — just say hi to people. It worked for me.”