They had no idea their paths would cross. They attended the same school, Zundy Jr. High. She was in 7th grade, he was in 8th. Neither one would notice the other if they passed each other in the halls at school. It wasn’t until her 8th grade year of junior high and his freshmen year of high school that Sam and Garrett would first meet at Orange Leaf. From then on, their relationship continued to flourish.

Samantha Griego is now a junior and Garrett Nutt is now a senior here at Rider. The couple will be dating for three years on February 26th. While the couple was babysitting Sam’s little cousins, Garrett finally decided to ask her out. When they first started dating, dinner at Olive Garden was their first official date, and now, it is their favorite place to eat.

“We always go to Olive Garden,” Sam said. “But the fact that it’s a first date is always romantic.”

After being together for a while, they have both found some pet peeves in each other that both make their eyes roll in annoyance when they talk about it. While Garrett goes on about his love for shoes, Sam could be telling a story while eating, pause mid sentence, and continue eating without finishing her story.

Despite their annoying differences, both have redeeming qualities that they love about each other.

“She’s always there for me when things get tough,” Nutt said.

Sam agrees with Garrett about the endless support.

“He’s very supportive in all the decisions I make, like in sports,” Sam said. “He’s at every game and it means a lot.”

The couple has gone through their share of disagreements and arguments over the years, but they believe it’s their friendship that keeps the relationship strong.

“We have a great friendship which is the core to having a good relationship,” Griego said.