Shared Hearts: Sharing good memories with good people on Valentine’s Day
On Saturday, Feb. 14, 2026, Seattle Central College’s Student Leadership invited the Seattle Colleges community to the Shared Hearts Valentine’s Day event, held from 2 to 5 p.m. at the Mitchell Activity Center. The event featured a variety of Valentine’s Day-themed activities.
Pink balloon decorations greeted students as they entered the room, creating a lovely atmosphere. Event staff welcomed visitors and helped them register for a raffle featuring Valentine’s Day prizes. Nearby, tables offered mocktails and finger foods, including cupcakes, fried mac and cheese, chocolates, and more.
Booths for bracelet making and heart-shaped sunglasses decorating were open to participants. Attendees created special souvenirs while enjoying time together, and their laughter, along with the music, filled the room with a joyful atmosphere.
In one corner of the room, a photo booth allowed students to wear their decorated sunglasses and take pictures in front of a background filled with heart balloons. They posed for photos with friends, their significant others, and in solo shots. The photos are available on the Simple Booth website.
Announcing the raffle winners was a highlight of the afternoon. Around 4:20 p.m., Student Leadership drew four raffle tickets from a box. Each time a winner’s name was announced, the room filled with cheers and congratulations. As a prize, the winners received a pink, heart-shaped cushion and chocolates.
Barbara Faria, event coordinator for Student Leadership, explained the motivation behind the Shared Hearts event.
“We at Student Leadership felt the need to create an event to celebrate love and union during this Valentine’s season. We know that usually, people think that to be in a Valentine’s event you need a partner, or to be in a relationship; that’s why we came up with Shared Hearts,” Faria said. “It is an event for anyone and everyone: people and their girlfriends, people and their pals, people and their kids, or even just by themselves. We want to give everybody an opportunity to feel loved and to have fun on a day where the media focuses on romantic relationships.”
Faria emphasized that Student Leadership aimed to host an event everyone could enjoy without feeling alienated. In the room, participants enjoyed the afternoon in their own ways—listening to music, taking pictures, talking with friends, and focusing on decorating their sunglasses and bracelets.
On the decision to hold the event on a weekend, Faria said, “We know that a lot of students have homework to do during the week, and also attend classes, so we thought it might be a good idea to give them an opportunity to have fun with friends during the weekend.”
At 3:45 p.m., there were about 25 participants in the room. This number was lower than the Valentine’s Day event held on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, at the Atrium of the Broadway Edison Building. The lower attendance may have been due to fewer students coming to campus on weekends when they do not have classes.
However, at the 2026 Shared Hearts event, students attended with friends and stayed for a long time, rather than stopping by briefly between classes. In providing a relaxed and chill atmosphere, the event was a success.
Maya was born and raised in South Korea and is an international student at North Seattle College, majoring in pre-nursing. She loves drawing, Mariners, and delicious food, and enjoys sharing useful information with others — from restaurant reviews to helpful tips for Seattle College students. As a staff writer, she deeply understands the power and importance of sentences, so she hopes that every student can make the most of their campus life and receive positive energy by reading the Seattle Collegian’s articles.
