We’ve all met someone in a class while we were in high school and hit it off as friends. That is the exact story for these two Wheeling Park seniors. Emily LaFlam and Anthony Mealy are both members of the broadcasting technology program here at Wheeling Park, and that’s exactly where their relationship started.
Although the two never shared the same Fundamentals of Broadcasting class (the first class in the program taken freshman year), the two still managed to catch each others’ eye.
“The first thing I noticed about Emily was that she always wore a Duke hoodie. She had fundamentals after me and always wore the hoodie. And I realized ‘Oh, she’s a Duke fan,'” said Anthony.
Emily shares a similar story about having the same class after Anthony.
“… he always took into the next period to take his test. He never finished on time, and I would always walk in and see him still working,” said Emily.
The two shared the love story of many similar high schoolers. They were friends for a long time, he liked her, but she just thought they were friends.
“We would hangout all summer, like every night, and go driving and get a sweet treat,” said Emily.
Their friends would always get them together in the same room just to try and prove that they liked each other. Obviously, it wasn’t that easy. But when the two realized their feelings for each other, it was an easy transition from friends to dating.
“We were friends before, so it wasn’t an awkward transition, it’s always been natural,” said Anthony.
The two have been dating since October 10th, 2024, and have loved spending their time together. Whether it’s a night in watching TV, or a date night out, doesn’t matter for them. All that matters is that they’re together. But, they both have their favorite date night memories with each other.
“We went on a date at Naples, this little Italian place in Steubenville, and it was really nice and lowkey,” said Anthony.
Emily’s favorite date may be even more lowkey: a nice beach date.
“My favorite date we have ever been on was when we were at the beach and went on a date to get froyo,” said Emily.
One of their favorite things to do together is getting a sweet treat, but it’s not just getting a treat that’s fun.
“It’s just the vibe, we’re at home laying down and I want a sweet treat, and then we go out and listen to music in the car on the way there,” said Emily.
While their are many qualities about each other that they love, they both have their favorites.
“My favorite thing about Mealy is his personality, he’s so funny,” said Emily.
“My favorite thing about Emily is how kind she is, and she’s a very giving person, she always thinks about others first,” said Anthony.
Now of course, being seniors mean graduation is right around the corner. But, a diploma could never change these two’s relationship.
“We’re both going to WVU, and will probably live in the same dorm,” said Mealy.
Emily and Anthony plan to do the same thing that’s worked since the beginning: staying grounded in friendship and letting their relationship grow naturally.
Sometimes, the best relationships don’t start with romance at all, they start with a great friendship.
