A Loyola love story: Meet the Study Abroad couple who fell for each other at Newcastle
Loyola University students Adam Barre and Sara Jesse first met on the flight over to Newcastle in September 2018, despite both studying in Maryland together for the previous two years. Fast forward to 2025, the pair - who credit Newcastle for bringing them together - are planning a wedding!
1 September 2025
Having first met at the airport to travel to Newcastle for their Study Abroad experience, the juniors from Loyola University in Maryland spent a semester exploring our city and region and falling in love before going long-distance. Now, seven years down the line, the couple are celebrating a Christmas engagement and deep in wedding planning!
Earlier this month, Adam and Sara returned to Newcastle to reconnect with the date locations where their relationship blossomed. We spoke with them while on campus to hear more about their love story and what the future holds.
First impressions
“While we had spent our freshman and sophomore years on Loyola’s campus studying, we lived on opposite sides of campus and studied completely different disciplines (Adam studied economics and Sara speech and language therapy) so our paths never crossed. Our first interaction was in the air as we were travelling to Newcastle from the US for the first time, and there was a spark immediately.” The pair told us.
“When we arrived in Newcastle, our cohort of Loyola students all went out as a group, and we got chatting more there, then began hanging out as just the two of us and exploring the city together. We had arrived on campus before any other students started, so it felt like we had the whole university to ourselves. It was magical.”
Speaking of their first impressions of Newcastle itself, Adam told us: “It was the warm, welcoming nature of everyone. It draws you in! Being greeted with a smile and seeing how everyone – other students and the local community – were so open to chatting and interested in hearing about our home, was lovely. Although it was initially difficult to understand the Geordie accent!”
Sara added, “Another fond recollection is the first time we took in the stunning architecture on campus and the city centre, from the Arches to Grey’s Monument. Most campuses in the US don’t look like that! But the biggest shock for me was how early the sun sets over here in winter, it was going dark at 3pm!”
The Newcastle experience
Sara spent the first semester of the year at Newcastle, heading back to Loyola at Christmas to continue her studies in Maryland, whereas Adam stayed at Newcastle University Business School for the full academic year.
“During my semester in Newcastle, I lived in Castle Leazes”, Sara told us. “I loved the cow field, though it was a bit daunting passing by them on the way to campus the very first time! It’s really not what you expect to find when living in the city centre.”
Adam spent his year in Newcastle at Park Terrace, right at the heart of campus near Exhibition Park, and while studying for his Major in Economics at our Business School, also took modules in Philosophy (with Sara) and UK history. He said:
“My learning at Newcastle University Business School was really valuable. I enjoyed learning all about European economics during the height of the Brexit negotiations and hearing from experts the different trajectories the discussions could take.
“In my history module, we had a lecture each week on a different period – starting from the end of the Roman Empire in the UK to the Troubles in Northern Ireland. It was fascinating.”
Alongside her Philosophy module with Adam, Sara also studied Psychology, English and American History. The pair quickly embarked on embracing the full Newcastle experience together as they got to know each other more, from watching Newcastle play at St. James’ Park to evenings in Trent House!
First date
The couple’s official first date was a trip to the coast and mini-golfing in Tynemouth. During their trip this July, Adam and Sara headed back to the seaside village along with a trip to Ouseburn, a suburb of the city neither had explored while students.
Another popular haunt with the pair, and their fellow Loyola students, was the Hancock Pub just a stone’s throw away from campus. Adam told us: “They were always so welcoming to us Loyola students, and even opened late for us to watch the Super Bowl in the spring semester – with American food like burgers and hot dogs to fuel the evening!”
Adam and Sara also often visited Longhorns Barbeque Steakhouse (no longer open) for date nights and have fond memories of watching the darts at the arena with their fellow Loyola students, all in Christmas-themed fancy dress.
Going the (long) distance
Sara headed back home at Christmas, and it was over the festive break that Adam met her family for the first time. In the new year, Adam flew back to Newcastle to continue his studies, whereas Sara remained at Loyola University. Sara said:
“It was tough, going from spending so much time together for three months and having this amazing experience abroad, to FaceTiming and being in a long-distance relationship. But it prepared us for what was to come with the COVID-19 pandemic, where we again were separated for months.”
Adam added:
“I felt sad to be returning to Newcastle without Sara, but as soon as I stepped back onto campus here I knew it was the right decision and that I was going to make the most of my last semester in Newcastle. I flew back to the US over spring break to see Sara and her family, but that involved an eight-hour drive from my hometown of Maine, so it was a lot!”
Life after graduating
Since graduating from Loyola University in 2020, Sara has forged a successful career as a speech therapist in a school, supporting children aged 5-8 with speech delay and impediments. This involved going to grad school at Loyola for another two years during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Adam was back at home in Maine “selling mortgages from my bedroom!”
“While it was great sales experience and fast-paced,” Adam said, “it wasn’t what I wanted to do long-term. I’m now in project management, working for the US Small Business Administration where I’m in charge of funding and servicing loans to small businesses around the country.”
The couple have now lived together for three years, and are engaged following a Christmas proposal. Wedding preparations are well underway, with a venue in New Jersey booked for August 2026, and save the dates sent (including to Newcastle University Study Abroad Manager, Vikki!)
The engagement wasn’t a huge surprise for Sara, as the pair had been looking at rings together since October, but she didn’t know exactly when the proposal would happen. She said:
“Adam asked me to send over some inspiration for the type of ring I would like, but I wanted to be more involved – I’m going to be wearing it for the rest of my life after all! So we bought the ring together.
“It was really important to me that all my family be there for the proposal, and as we’re all dotted around the US now it meant it would be over a week-or-so period over Christmas 2024. I just wasn’t sure when! It meant lots of stress each morning about whether I needed to straighten my hair or paint my nails!”
When Adam went to ask Sara’s family for their blessing and to share his plans for the proposal, Sara’s mom came up with a new idea. “You can see where Sara gets it!” Adam joked.
“We ended up going to this gorgeous greenhouse filled with Christmas flowers to get family photos and that was the perfect setting to pop the question. I got down on one knee, of course!”
The date is set for August 2026, with a potential honeymoon in Greece later that year.