Brad Romano and Nick Simone are childhood best friends. Once Nick was accepted at Arcadia to join in the fall of 2003, Brad, unsure of his collegiate future due to a financial error by another University, followed. The pair then met Joe Filipone that same fall, and they roomed together thereafter – throughout their four-years on campus. 

“Friendship has always been very important to me. I've been fortunate enough to be friends with Brad for almost 35 years now, the vast majority of my life. Going to college together seemed like a no-brainer. I've known Liz, Joe, and Ashley for 20 years now, ever since first coming to Arcadia. I am very lucky to be able to continue my bond with all of them and to have gotten to the point where our kids are now friends. It feels really special.” - Nick Simone ‘07

Brad met his future wife, Liz, in 2003, and Joe ended up meeting Ashley at Knight Hall on-campus in 2005…college was off to a good start. 

The five Arcadians all graduated in 2007. Joe and Ashley had their engagement photos taken on campus in 2012 and went on to have three children. Recently, their oldest child started asking about how they had met, and they thought it could be fun to show her and their other two children the campus. Nick ended up meeting his now wife after graduation in 2007. Both them, and Brad and Liz, have three children, as well.

Ashley Filipone ‘07 contacted the Alumni Engagement Office to have a campus tour and see The Grey Towers Castle. They all revisited Arcadia this past fall to have a mini reunion. Although they are very active in each other’s lives, getting together brought back so many fond memories and allowed their connection to grow even further. Ashley said: 

“If you would have asked me back in 2004 if Nick, Brad, and Joe would all still be friends in the future, I don’t know if I would have honestly said yes. It’s hard to determine what gives a friendship endurance. But now, I can’t believe that between all of us we have nine children and almost ten years of memories. When I see them together, I’m always immediately taken back to those carefree days of hanging out in Oak Summit. Joe and I feel so lucky that we were able to share our college experience with them and even better, this stage of parenting. We now get to watch all of our children grow up together. And we have Arcadia to thank.”

The bonds between Arcadians are quite unique and certainly genuine. The campus brings a sense of home to its students, faculty, and staff, which allows for interpersonal relationships to initiate and flourish. We appreciate alums wanting to revisit the place that helped develop them both professionally and personally, and we welcome them to do so.