It all started when computer science majors Siena Ha and Nate Brennan arrived late to UC Riverside’s Highlander Orientation in the summer of 2018. They quietly walked into Bourns Hall minutes apart, taking seats in the back to minimize the disruption and finding themselves sitting beside each other.
“It was at this moment we introduced ourselves and first met,” Brennan said.
To add to the awkwardness, when Ha realized she didn’t have a pen to fill out her paperwork, she tapped Nate on the shoulder and asked if she could borrow his. He eventually let her use it once he was done with it.
Over the next quarter, they couldn’t seem to avoid each other. They started hanging out as friends and major peers.
The most memorable early connection was made at Rose Hack in 2019, UCR’s first women-centric hackathon. They teamed up with two friends to build a side-scrolling game, “Rosie the Rescuer,” and faced off against rival teams. The event was fueled with friendly competition, cup stacking breaks, spying attempts, snacking, boba, and sticker collecting. At the end, their team won an award for the most women-centric software project.
“We had a ton of fun at that hackathon and definitely felt a lot closer afterwards,” Brennan said. “Working closely together to build something that wasn't just a school assignment showed us that we are good at solving problems and building cool stuff together. Not to mention all the fun we had together while not coding.”
Over the next few years, their romantic relationship grew during the campus game nights, study sessions, Block Party, Bonfires, free movie nights, and shows at The Barn that eventually led them to graduation.
Fast forward to 2025 and these Highlander sweethearts are returning to campus for an engagement photoshoot.
Yes. Brennan proposed, and Ha said yes!
“For our 5th dating anniversary, we travelled to Chicago and enjoyed a nine-course meal at a Michelin star restaurant called Boka,” Brennan said. “She made the original reservation and requested that it be special for our anniversary. But then I called a bit later and re-coordinated with the restaurant to surprise her with dessert and the ring was hidden inside it.”
In a few days, they’ll be taking their engagement photos on campus at all the special spots that acted as backdrops to their story. Places like Winston Chung Hall’s Transfer Transitional Program (TTP) room, Bytes Cafe, The HUB, Orbach Library, and of course Bourns Hall because that’s where this “meet cute” started.
“UCR will always hold a sweet spot in our hearts,” Ha said.
As for any dating advice to current students, Ha says, “Explore, and find someone compatible who shares similar values and goals. Also, make sure you do not show up on time for orientation because maybe you’ll find someone else who’s like you.”
(The last part is not recommended by UCR’s administration. Please always arrive on time. Lol.)
After each graduating from UCR’s Bourns College of Engineering with both their bachelor’s (’21) and master’s degrees (’22), they became software engineers: Ha at Intel, and Brennan at YouTube/Google.
(Welcome back to campus, Siena and Nate! We wish you a wonderful marriage.)
