A (shuttle) ride to remember
Some people propose over romantic candlelit dinners, during long walks on the beach, or from the stands of sporting events with the crowd watching on the jumbotron, but Thomas Scordino ’26 had a different kind of location in mind.
Last month, with help from BC’s Office of Transportation and Parking, Scordino carried out an elaborate plan that culminated in him getting down on one knee from the center aisle of a Newton shuttle bus, asking his girlfriend, Sophia Paranzino ’26, to marry him. A photographer hiding behind a tree nearby captured the moment, which may go down as the most BC engagement of all time.
For Scordino, a finance and marketing major, it was a chance to celebrate the place where it all began. He and Paranzino first met as first-year students riding the shuttle bus back to their dorms on Newton Campus. (“He was wearing a Johns Hopkins shirt and I'm from Baltimore, so I asked about it,” recalled Paranzino. “Then we talked for the rest of the ride.”) Four years later, it’s impossible for them to think about the early months of their relationship without Newton Campus and its trusty shuttle.
“Most nights we would go to 10 p.m. Candlelight Mass, take the bus back, and walk around Newton Campus for hours, just getting to know each other and growing closer,” said Paranzino. “That campus played such a role in our story as a couple.”
Initially, Scordino toyed with the idea of proposing at the Chestnut Hill Reservoir, another iconic BC location where he and Paranzino had their first official date, but after chatting with his roommates, he couldn’t get the shuttle off his mind. So he emailed Director of Transportation, Parking, and Contracted Services Gabe Parker with what he called “a crazy ask.”
Less than two hours later, Parker replied.“He said, ‘Yes, we love it. Do it,’” Scordino recalled, “and I was like, ‘Oh, heck yeah.’ I’m so very, very grateful to them.”
The happy couple with long-time shuttle supervisor Manny Alvez, who “jumped at the opportunity” to help make the proposal plan happen, said Parker, by driving a spare shuttle himself at no cost to the University.
For the next week, Scordino, Parker, and Boston Coach Supervisor Manny Alves hashed out logistics over email. Parker and Alves were enthusiastic from the start, but needed to make sure regular shuttle service wasn’t compromised. Hoping to keep the plan a surprise, Scordino made early dinner reservations in Newton, and suggested to Paranzino that they take the bus back to main campus afterwards. Paranzino knew something was going on when he wondered if they should dress up.
“He's not a good liar, which I always say is a really good quality in someone I want to marry,” she laughed. ”He was acting very suspicious.”
At 6 p.m. sharp, they boarded a shuttle bus marked “special event” with Alves himself behind the wheel, wearing a suit for the occasion. They chose the same seats they’d ridden in as first-year students, meeting for the first time, and as the bus sped along Commonwealth Avenue, Scordino delivered a small speech to his soon-to-be fiance. At Linden Lane, Alves opened the doors, and switched the bus's illuminated message to read “Will You Marry Me,” as Scordino popped the question.
Was this the most romantic thing to ever happen on a Newton shuttle? Probably, said Parker, who oversees the University’s six shuttle routes. Occasionally, he’ll arrange buses for couples getting married at St. Ignatius who need transportation for their guests, but Scordino’s request was by far the most unusual that Parker has received in his years at Boston College.
“We wanted to do whatever we could to make this happen,” he said. “Working out the logistics with Thomas was just a joy. This is a kid who’s in college, worrying about midterms, thinking about where he’s going to work next year, and he still took the time to plan something so thoughtful. We were happy to be a small part of it.”
After a quick photoshoot on Linden Lane, the newly engaged couple celebrated with friends and family at a party in Scordino’s Mod. In keeping with the theme, Scordino’s mother decorated a sheet cake with a small plastic shuttle bus, painted in maroon and gold stripes. With a wedding planned for next summer in Baltimore, it’s unlikely that the shuttle will make an appearance, but neither Scordino or Paranzino will forget its role in their connection.
“It’s a good reminder to just be aware of who’s there,” said Scordino. “Don’t have your head down in your phone all the time—just say hi to people. It worked for me.”