Alumni Spotlight: Sakura Sweethearts Edition
Spencer Dreher ‘95 and Marisha Wignaraja ‘97
Spencer Dreher and Marisha Wignaraja’s love story began on the dance floor of Davis Hall at I-House. At the time, Dreher was a PhD student studying organic chemistry at Columbia and Wignaraja was pursuing a master’s in international affairs at SIPA. They met at one of I-House’s many lively gatherings—Wignaraja recalls seeing Dreher dancing without a care in the world. “He just kept dancing,” Wignaraja remembers fondly, “And we’ve been dancing together ever since.”
Living at I-House played a pivotal role in their relationship. In true I-House fashion, Dreher and Wignaraja continued running into each other in the Dining Hall, at ballroom dancing classes, and even on the basketball court. Eventually those accidental meetings turned into planned ones, and their friendship developed into something more. From spontaneous adventures around New York City to more intimate moments overlooking the city from the ninth-floor terrace, the couple shared many special memories during their time at I-House.
After leaving I-House, their journeys took them to New Jersey and Michigan—with Dreher continuing his career at Merck as a Senior Principal Scientist and with Wignaraja working in foundations, including stints at the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, the Ms. Foundation for Women, The Atlantic Philanthropies, and the Collaborative for Gender + Reproductive Equity. They dated long distance before marrying in 2000.
When reflecting on their time at I-House, both Dreher and Wignaraja emphasize the importance of community: “It was our home base,” Dreher says. “A place of trust, where you could meet people from all over the world and have conversations about anything.” Wignaraja adds, “We found our people there, and those connections have lasted a lifetime.”
Their advice to current residents? Keep coming back—to the House, to the friendships, to the global perspective that it fosters. “In a world that feels increasingly divided, spaces like I-House are more important than ever,” Dreher said.
Today, Dreher and Wignaraja live in New Jersey and have two sons.
Do you have an I-House story to share? Reach out to us—we’d love to feature you in our next Alumni Spotlight!