Catching up with Camp Carey cupids
Kenzie (Taylor) Hamstra (BS Marketing/Management '23) and Jonah Hamstra (BS Business Data Analytics/Finance/Supply Chain Management '22) met as undergraduates at ASU and tied the knot last summer.
Some students leave W. P. Carey with more than a top-rated education — they find a life partner, too. We call them W. P. Carey Cupids — couples who met over shared interests, connected during internships, or sat side by side in class and are now building their futures together.
Jonah Hamstra (BS Business Data Analytics/Finance/Supply Chain Management '22) first met Kenzie (Taylor) Hamstra (BS Marketing/Management '23) when he was a Camp Carey facilitator and she was a camper preparing for her first year at ASU. However, it wasn't until they worked together as peer advisors — helping new business students navigate life at W. P. Carey — that their relationship began to grow.
"W. P. Carey's strong connections gave us so many opportunities to spend a lot of time together in professional settings, whether at Supply Chain Management Association meetings or Business School Council presentations," says Jonah.
As the Hamstras approach their first anniversary — the couple was married this past summer — Jonah shares how they juggled rigorous academics, clubs, on-campus jobs, internships, and even a global pandemic, all while falling in love at ASU.
Question: How did you balance a relationship and busy schedule as W. P. Carey students?
Answer: We were both busy during our time in college, so we made it a tradition to get breakfast together at the Barrett dining hall almost every morning. We also attended church together where we were part of a student ministry group.
While the COVID-19 pandemic was difficult, it actually helped our relationship tremendously. I was living in the Vista del Sol dorms and Kenzie was a community assistant at Barrett, so we took our virtual classes together from the library almost every day!
Q: What are you up to today?
A: Kenzie and I got married on June 1, 2024, and live in Tempe, Arizona. Kenzie has always been creative and naturally found her calling in marketing, and she currently serves as the director of marketing at Ironwood Venture. I have always been analytical, so I pursued the supply chain and data analytics route, and I'm now a senior supply chain consultant at KPMG.
Our careers keep us busy, but in our free time, we love exploring new, local restaurants and playing pickleball — something Kenzie introduced me to after taking a pickleball class at ASU.
Q: Where were your favorite places to spend time on campus together?
A: Grabbing coffee between classes at the Starbucks on the Dean's Patio, studying in the Hayden library, or eating in the Barrett Dining Hall.
Q: What’s one of your favorite memories from your time together at W. P. Carey?
A: We both cherish the late-night study sessions that happened several times a week in the Barrett Complex Honors Hall. It was nice to connect after a long day of school, work, and clubs.
Q: When did you last visit campus, and what did you do?
A: The last time we were on campus together was for the W .P. Carey Alumni Hall of Fame event where we connected with current and former W. P. Carey students.
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