Andre ‘07 and Ericka (Bufford) ‘03 Lessears

Andre ‘07 and Ericka (Bufford) ‘03 Lessears 

Andre and Ericka Lessears met before they even arrived on Walsh’s campus as freshmen in 1999. They have been married for more than 17 years and together have five children. Andre and Ericka were honored by the Walsh Alumni Office on Valentine’s Day February 14, 2021 as the Cavs Couple of the Year. The Lessears are just one of the 478 Cavs Couples who met through their alma mater, Walsh University. For additional stories, or if you are a Cavs Couple and would like to share your story, please contact the Office of Alumni Relations at https://www.walsh.edu/cavscouples.html

Date of Marriage: September 9, 2003
Did you meet before, during, or after your time at Walsh? Before Walsh
Where did you meet? At Church before Orientation
How many children/pets? Five children

Share Your Story:

We met at church the very end of our senior year of high school. Ericka was new to the church and was sitting all by herself. I came up to her and asked if she wanted to see my senior pictures and she stated that she did not even know me. I introduced myself and asked again. She laughed and said yes. We sat and talked and realized that we both committed to come to Walsh University. We started dating at the beginning of our freshman year in 1999.

The Proposal:

We went away for MLK weekend our junior year with friends from school to one of their homes. I had planned to ask her to marry me just was not sure when the correct time to propose to her. I asked her during our weekend away but did not have the ring. She said yes but not officially until the ring was on her finger. When we came back to campus, I retrieved the ring, got on one knee and asked her again with our friends surrounding us. She said yes!

Where are you now?

We have been married for 17.5 years, with five beautiful children. We have just relocated to Birmingham, AL, where I am now the Chief Diversity Officer for University of Alabama Birmingham Health Systems.