Name: Shy’Kiya Lee, 21
Hometown: Ahoskie, N.C.
Year: 2016
Major: First-year Nursing Student
Name: Frank Tillman, 21
Hometown: Fayetteville, N.C.
Year: 2015
Major: Pre-Pharmacy
Q: When and where did you guys meet?
A (Shy’Kiya): We went to Summer Bridge together in the summer of 2011. My roommate was good friends with Frank so he was always in our room. Frank stalked me (laugh). We called each other “best friend”. He had to ask me three times before I said yes. I regret not saying ‘yes’ the first time because we could’ve started making memories sooner.
Q: What makes your relationship work so well?
A (Frank): We know what to do and what not to do. We’re very realistic people. If a vibe shouldn’t be there we work on ourselves to get rid of it. We usually can tell when there’s a weird vibe, but it might take time for us to admit it. And we don’t put others in our business. We keep certain things in-house.
Q: What’s the hardest thing about being in a relationship with each other?
A (Shy’Kiya): We’re seen to have the model relationship. And we don’t want that because if we were to break up, though we’re hoping for the best, people would riot. People expect us to stay together forever.
Q: What’s something special that the two of you try to incorporate during an anniversary?
A (Shy’Kiya): This was Frank’s idea, but basically we’re going to put a photo inside of a bigger photo from the anniversary the year before. So hopefully we’ll have hundreds of photos inside each other.
Q: What three words describe your relationship?
A (Both): Understanding. Committed. Loving.