Alumni Stories: Devon & Becky

Alumni Spotlight: Devon & Becky, Class of 2005
February is the month of love, and this month, we’re taking a different approach to our alumni stories—highlighting PCA graduates who met their high school sweetheart right here on campus.
Some love stories begin with grand gestures, but for Devon and Becky St. Cyr, it all started with early mornings, Quiz Bowl competitions, and a little strategic socializing. As members of the Portsmouth Christian Academy Class of 2005, they first crossed paths in the Quiz Bowl club. However, it wasn’t until they served together on Student Council that their friendship deepened—and something more began to spark.
Join us as we take a trip down memory lane with Devon and Becky, celebrating a love that started with Quiz Bowl and grew into something truly special.
Devon & Becky
Devon and Becky, both of the class of 2005, were in the Quiz Bowl Club together while they were students at PCA when they first noticed each other. They got to know each other more deeply while serving together on Student Council.
Devon, as a teenage boy, was aloof to Becky’s presence until one day it hit him: “Wow, there is a very cute and very intelligent girl here. She is someone I want to know!”
Becky recalls being struck by Devon’s maturity, his determination, and mostly his strong, vibrant faith.
Devon: “After meeting in Quiz Bowl, I started to make sure I was at school early before classes started, which is when Becky arrived. That time was supposed to be for kids whose parents needed to drop them off early due to work or scheduling issues, but I started getting to school an hour early to ‘study’ with Becky so that I could get to know her.”
Becky: “I remember starting to see Devon’s car already in the parking lot when I arrived at school. For a little while, I thought it was strange that he was there so early, but I was excited to spend that extra time with him. I was even more excited when I began to realize he had ulterior motives [me] and actually wasn’t just trying to get an extra study hall!
“Both Quiz Bowl and Student Council allowed us to travel outside of school and do things other than just academics together, which gave us valuable opportunities to get to know each other and grow in our relationship.”

Devon: “Friends were the primary way that I was able to get to know Becky. Much like fighting a proxy war (something Dr. Gamble taught us about), I used our mutual friends to try and spend time together in an indirect manner. This included me hanging out with band members (I was not in the band), waiting in the pickup line (Becky got picked up, but I rode a bus), and other strategic excuses to spend time with Becky.
Becky & Devon: “One of our favorite memories from PCA as a new couple was the week before graduation…we were scolded by the school nurse for PDA because we were holding hands while sitting outside during lunch, and we still laugh about it.”
Devon: “Three weeks after starting our “official” relationship. I told Becky that I was going to marry her as long as God allowed it.”
Becky: “After graduation, I went to work at camp for the whole summer, which was a hard transition for Devon and me after seeing each other every day at school. When I saw how our relationship not only survived, but continued to grow through that time apart, it became clear to me that this was something special.
“We did discuss the future quite a bit while we were at school, but that was pretty normal for senior year. It’s when everyone is trying to figure out what comes next. Although we certainly couldn’t anticipate how God would orchestrate the details of our life together, it was still valuable to dream and discuss and plan together in high school. These conversations were a great way to get to know each other and to see how our individual aspirations for the future potentially could fit together.
“One of the challenges we faced was just learning how to be adults. Navigating a new, serious relationship while trying to figure out where God wanted each of us to go after graduation was a daunting task.

“If you can survive the whole growing-into-adults part together—which is easily 90% of the struggle—then having a common reference point of knowing each other since high school becomes VERY valuable. We knew each other before money, cars, and careers, and we fell in love when we had literally nothing outside of what our families provided.
“It’s such a joy to have known each other for so long – over 20 years now! The fact that we grew up into adulthood together has connected us in so many ways and provided a wonderful foundation for us to continue growing individually and together.
“If we could share one piece of advice: Keep God at the center of your relationship. It’s vital to prioritize seeking Him individually and together (actually, that’s best advice for every area of your life, not just your relationships).
“Talk about everything. Be intentional and upfront about your boundaries, hopes, and expectations. This will prevent a lot of misunderstandings and keep you moving forward together.
“Don’t try and go it alone. Seek advice from wise teachers, mentors, and friends who know you well about how they see your relationship progressing. Make sure you’re spending time together in groups of friends, which can be a lower-pressure and more-effective way to get to know each other than one-on-one dates.
“Whether God leads your relationship to marriage or not, it’s hard to go wrong when you build on the foundation of a solid friendship and shared faith. This will keep you on course towards His best for both of you.
“We both sought God’s will above our own, which is hard when you think you’re in love at that stage of life. But though prayer, patience, and the advice of our parents and mentors, we were able to discern God’s will for our lives.
“Though we didn’t live in New Hampshire for the first decade of our marriage, being back in the area now has given us the opportunity to pay a few visits to PCA. It still feels familiar in so many ways, and it’s fun to share the memories that come back when we’re on campus – doors that got held open, lockers where notes and flowers were left, the lawn where we sat at lunch time (and got scolded for holding hands!). We don’t always remember the same things, so we enjoy comparing notes and reminding each other of conversations and experiences from the very beginning of our journey together.