Amy Evans, center, officiates the wedding of Christina Hayduchok and Ken Pechtl.
It’s not unusual for students and mentors to develop a solid rapport. A mutual understanding and respect. Perhaps even a friendship. But occasionally, the connection goes much further.
On May 6, 2023, Rehabilitation Science alumni Christina Hayduchok (BS ’18) and Kenneth Pechtl (BS ’18) said “I do” in a deeply personal wedding ceremony officiated by their friend and mentor, Amy Evans, senior academic advisor in the SHRS Center for Advising and Student Success.
“I don’t usually do that—wed people,” laughs Evans. “In fact, I never have before. So, when Ken and Christina insisted that they take me out to brunch several months before the wedding and asked me to officiate, I was flabbergasted!”
Hayduchok likes to say that Evans had a hand in bringing the couple together.
“Yes, I reviewed their applications and admitted them into the Rehabilitation Science undergraduate program,” recalls Evans. “But that wasn’t me. It was them!”
“And yes, I advised them through the program; but that was lucky for me because I got to know them as individuals and grew to adore and admire them.”
Then there was the fact that Evans steered both of them to the same job posting, knowing they would be working on a team with values that matched their own.
Hayduchok was the first one to bring up the idea of asking Evans to officiate their wedding.
“We wanted to have someone who knew both of us as individuals and as a couple,” recalls Pechtl, who is currently a medical resident at OhioHealth Riverside Methodist Hospital in Columbus, Ohio, and will continue training in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Marianjoy Rehabilitation Hospital. “Amy’s role and influence in our lives made her our first choice.”
“Anyone who’s had the opportunity to spend time with Amy knows that she’s thoughtful in the way she speaks, and she’s patient and intentional with her words and actions,” says Hayduchok, who works on the corporate partnerships team at The Ohio State University while she pursues her MBA.
“She is not someone who likes to be front and center,” she continues. “We feel honored that she was willing to be our officiant. We are grateful for all her time and effort.”
“It was the honor of a lifetime for me to officially bring these two together,” says Evans. “It was such a pleasure to watch their budding friendship turn into a lasting relationship.”
“They share the same values—loving and building community, helping others to be their best, being mindful in what they do, being creative and adventurous—and having fun!” she continues. “They both have an abundance of generosity and kindness and oh, such joie de vivre. They are the perfect complement for each other.”
Pechtl and Hayduchok are quick to return the compliment. “Amy is a silent super hero,” says Hayduchok. “She’s always working to improve the program and prioritize what is best for students.”
“We both benefited from her and our experience at SHRS,” adds Pechtl. “She exposed us to various careers in rehabilitation and was instrumental in helping me find my path to physical medicine and rehabilitation, and in Christina aspiring to build a career at the intersection of business and health care strategy.”
“It’s just wonderful that the connections made at SHRS go deeper than one semester or one program,” adds Evans. “They can last
a lifetime.”
-----
This article originally appeared in the Fall 2023 issue of Facets magazine.