A Love Story as Old as UNLV: Jim and Mikey Bilbray
Jim and Michaelene “Mikey” Bilbray met on the campus of Nevada Southern University — the precursor to UNLV — when she was a freshman, and he asked her out on the first day of classes. He was the student body president and was helping new students with directions on campus.
“Jim told me that when he first met me, he felt like Michael when he met Appolonia in The Godfather,” Mikey shared.
At first, she was a little less “sure” that Jim was 'The One.' But looking back at the beginning of their 60-plus-year marriage, Mikey reflects, “he won me over; it really didn’t take all that long.”
The campus was just a scattering of buildings with few places to hang out, they spent a lot of time together in the library. He would leave her notes to “meet me in the history section.”
Jim eventually transferred to American University and, with Mikey, moved to Washington, D.C. In their hearts, though, they never left UNLV.
In 1964, Jim co-founded and served as the first president of the UNLV Alumni Association. Mikey says the students at UNLV finally felt they had a representative in Jim when he joined the Nevada System of Higher Education Board of Regents in 1968, where he successfully championed UNLV’s autonomy from the University of Nevada, Reno.
As Jim continued his career in public service as a state senator and U.S. representative, he remained steadfast in his advocacy for UNLV and his love for Mikey. Mikey supported Jim’s career while helping to raise their children.Together, they had three daughters and a son.
The key to a six-decade love story? “A lot of work, empathy, and compassion,” Mikey says. “We faced a lot of challenges at a pretty young age, and getting through challenges makes a marriage stronger.”
Jim passed away in September 2021, but his legacy lives on at UNLV through the James H. Bilbray Scholarship and in a memorial plaque in the courtyard of the Richard Tam Alumni Center.
Right Place, Right Time: Chelsey and Darren Kuzyk
Though they both grew up in Las Vegas and even shared mutual friends, Chelsey, ’05 BA Film Studies, and Darren, ’04 BS Hotel Administration and ’18 MEd. Secondary Instructional & Curricular, didn't meet until UNLV brought them together on her 21st birthday.
“That birthday changed everything,” Chelsey said. “It felt less like meeting someone new and more like finally recognizing someone I had been meant to find all along.”
As a student, Chelsey worked at the student newspaper (now called the Scarlet & Gray Free Press), where long deadline-fueled days were often brightened by Darren stopping by her office just to say hello. They lunched at the Freakin’ Frog, took campus walks, and studied together at the library.
More than 20 years later, they’re still side-by-side, raising their teenage daughters, Kaidyn and Parker. Today, Chelsey works in hospitality and Darren in education.
“UNLV didn’t just shape my future, it introduced me to the person I was meant to spend my life with,” Chelsey says. “For that, I’ll forever be a Rebel at heart.”
A Romance Rooted in Campus Life: Amanda and Michael Gordon
Amanda Gordon, ’09 BA Sociology and Anthropology and ’11 MA Criminal Justice, was a resident assistant (RA) during her undergraduate years when she met her Rebel sweetheart. She was interviewing potential new RAs for the next year. Michael Gordon, ’08 MPA Public Administration and ’13 Ph.D. Public Affairs, a candidate for the role, was hired mid-year due to an unexpected vacancy.
They worked in different campus housing complexes but got to know each other over time. Michael was recruiting for a young professionals version of Rotary (Rotaract), and Amanda, taking an interest in Michael, figured it was a good way to get to know him and joined as a founding member of the club.
The two continued to date throughout college while remaining heavily involved on campus. Michael eventually served as president of the Graduate & Professional Student Association (GPSA).
“When we got married in 2013, we held our reception at the Tam Alumni Center. UNLV’s president at the time [Dr. Neal J. Smastesk] was a guest and shared remarks during the reception,” Amanda said.
Michael worked in various roles at UNLV, including the Provost's Office and, eventually, as an instructor for the School of Public Policy. Amanda also found her way back to the university, working in the Office of Alumni Engagement — in the very building where their wedding reception was hosted.
In 2022, the Gordons moved to Colorado, where Amanda serves as the senior board relations specialist for the Regents of the University of Colorado, and Michael works for the state as a business outreach specialist. They stay busy with numerous volunteer opportunities, including their 7-year-old son’s Cub Scout program.
From a Zoom Crush to Real-Life Love: April and Anthony Weeks
Anthony, ’22 BS Secondary Education, and April Weeks, ’22 BS Secondary Education, both began their journeys at UNLV in fall 2017, pursuing the same degree: secondary education. Anthony was a Las Vegas native, while April had just moved to town from Washington.
But they didn’t connect right away. They even shared early general education classes without realizing it. It wasn’t until fall 2020, during a fully remote British literature course, that fate began nudging them together.
“I learned later that while the professor lectured on Zoom, Anthony was pinning my video window, quietly developing a crush from afar,” April said.
Over the next year, UNLV continued to bring the two together. They shared another class in the spring, became friends over the summer, and in fall 2021, they were assigned to the same school for their practicum and student teaching. That semester, they gave in to fate and began dating. April and Anthony graduated together in May 2022, got engaged in 2024, and were married on March 9, 2025.
Today, Anthony teaches middle and high school English, while April returned to UNLV for work, where she now serves students as a care advocate coordinator in the Care Center.
The first chapter of their lives together was written on campus, from stolen glances during class in the Carlson Education Building, to lunch dates in the Student Union, to graduation photos together on the steps below the Flashlight, and they’re looking forward to keeping UNLV a part of their story.
“We credit UNLV for our love story,” they wrote.
