From partners in academics to partners in life: A Randolph Hall love story
Prior to the demolition of Randolph Hall, Virginia Tech Engineering alumni and donors said a final goodbye to the building that has served the college for over half a century. The 2023 Randolph Sendoff event was held in Room 217, formerly the senior design space, engineers signed their names and wrote their favorite memories on the wall — leaving one last impression that will come down with the building.
At the event last October, among the other stories mentioned, electrical engineering alumna Kimberly Puri ‘00 shared her favorite memory that unfolded within those walls — the love story of meeting her husband, Amit Puri ‘99.
Told by Kimberly Puri
They say that college is a place where we not only gain knowledge but also create lasting memories. For me, meeting my husband in Randolph Hall was one of the most beautiful memories that college gave me.
It all began during our sophomore year at Virginia Tech. We were both young, excited engineering students making our way through the challenging electrical engineering curriculum. Virginia Tech is a place of opportunities, and little did we know, one of the most significant opportunities was about to unfold before us.
I remember that day so vividly. It happened inside Randolph Hall, in a course we all loathed – Electromagnetic Fields. The building was buzzing with students from all walks of life, and specifically within engineering, from all corners of the globe. I was settling into my seat, preparing for the lecture, when I heard someone a few rows back trying to get my attention. As I looked up, there he was — my future husband — with a warm smile on his face. He had seen a pack of gum on my desk and politely requested a piece.
That’s where it all began.
Forming a meaningful connection
Our first conversation was brief, but it left a lasting impression. We exchanged names, and I couldn't help but notice how charming and friendly Amit was. Over the next few weeks, we crossed paths more often, and our casual conversations evolved into deeper ones. We soon discovered that we had many common interests, dreams, and values.
As we spent more time together, we started to build a deep and meaningful connection. We shared our dreams and fears, laughed together, and supported each other through the challenges of student life as engineers. We became not just partners in academics, but partners in life.
Our most special memories from Virginia Tech include the way we supported each other during our toughest moments, like how we encouraged each other to push through a particularly difficult semester when the workload was overwhelming. And as they say, the best relationships are the ones that make you a better person, and that's exactly what happened when we motivated each other to strive for excellence in our studies and beyond.
Building a strong foundation for our future
College life is about exploration and discovering who you are. Meeting my husband in Randolph Hall allowed me (and us) to grow and evolve together. Amit and I learned to appreciate our differences and complement each other's strengths and weaknesses. Virginia Tech was our training ground for building a strong foundation for our future together.
And so, our story continued beyond college. We embarked on new adventures, faced life's challenges, and celebrated its joys together. Today, I’m grateful for the day I met my husband in Randolph because it was the beginning of a beautiful journey that led us to 25 years of togetherness.
Meeting my husband in Randolph Hall was not just a chance encounter — it was a moment of fate that changed the course of our lives. Virginia Tech provided the backdrop, and love did the rest. It reminds me that sometimes the most beautiful things happen when we least expect them.
New beginnings
Told by Amit Puri
The demolition of Randolph Hall certainly will be a powerful and emotional sight — it will be a process that symbolizes the end of an era and the beginning of something new. Buildings carry stories, memories, and history within their walls, and seeing them crumble can evoke a mix of feelings. However, it's essential to understand that the demolition of Randolph is about transformation and progress. As the old makes way for the new, this represents the ever-changing landscape of Virginia Tech and its ability to adapt to evolving needs and technologies. Gone are the days of open fields and grazing cattle from Virginia Tech’s core campus. State-of-the-art engineering facilities, like Mitchell Hall, will provide a fully modernized infrastructure to propel the college into the next phase of research and technology. And perhaps, within these new walls, Mitchell Hall will become the beginning of someone else’s love story.
Through their gift to help advance the replacement of Randolph Hall, Norris Mitchell ‘58 and his wife Wendy are making the dreams of future engineers a reality for generations to come. Their legacy will live on in the countless stories of success, growth, and innovation that will unfold within those walls. Kim and I are deeply grateful for their generous gift. It inspires us to continuously do more for the university, and we hope it does the same for you.
