Written by Michael Trecker and Danielle Alger
Photos by Sendra Productions

Sponsored by East Village Place

Published in Longmeadow Neighbors (May 2022)

The ebb and flow of life can often be summarized in the well-known quote from the movie Forrest Gump stating, “Life is like a box of chocolates, you never know what you’re going to get.” This motto often rings true for most people because even the best laid plans are subject to life’s changes. The circumstances by which two people come together is unique for every couple and often happen when least expected. Some couples meet on dating apps, others meet during work, and once in a while a person ends up marrying someone they met in high school. Then, rarely, you have a couple who went to high school together for three years and did not meet until a couple years later when they were set up on a blind date. These are the circumstances that brought Danielle (D’Agostino) Alger, 27, and Jonathan Alger, 29, together.

Danielle moved to Longmeadow when she was about two years old, and has been living in town ever since. Jonathan moved into town in third grade and only moved out briefly to work at Disney. They both went to Longmeadow High School (LHS) and graduated just one year apart, but had never crossed paths until they were introduced by friends years after the fact. As Jonathan said, “It’s really weird that I didn’t know her because I had a lot of friends in her grade. And it’s not just that I didn’t know her, it’s that I didn’t even recognize her and it’s such a small town to begin with.” Danielle felt the same and feels it was because they had such different interests back then. As she stated, “Usually you can recognize peoples’ faces from the hallway at least, but when my friend showed me his picture I actually asked ‘are you sure he went to LHS?’” Danielle and Jonathan were introduced in 2013 and have been together ever since. They bought their first home together in Longmeadow in December 2018 and just got married in September 2021 at Longmeadow Country Club after postponing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Danielle graduated from UMass Amherst in 2016 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. Immediately thereafter she began her continued education at Elms College where she was accepted into the accelerated nursing program. She graduated with a second Bachelor’s (in Nursing) in 2018. Danielle said with a laugh, “It was an incredibly fast paced 20-month program that went right through the summer, which was mentally tough!” She definitely feels it was worth it in the end, “A lot of my family thrives in the business world, but science and math has always been my thing.” Danielle actually started her college career at Union College in upstate New York, but ultimately did not feel it was the best fit. She did however take great classes and made lifelong friends. She added, “I transferred to UMass after freshman year and I loved everything about it. I cannot recommend UMass enough with its diverse course options. You get out of it what you put in.”

Presently, Danielle works as a registered nurse at Pioneer Valley Pediatrics in Longmeadow. She has been there since she graduated from nursing school and loves it! She was inspired to start this path in life after being diagnosed with a brain tumor at the age of 10. It was the care she received during her treatment that made her want to help other kids in the future. “I wanted to be a nurse then and I’m so happy to be a nurse now. I learned a lot from what I went through,” Danielle stated. In addition to nursing, Danielle and her two best friends have a side business called Rescute Bows. This business all started at the beginning of the pandemic when they began casually sewing bows for their dogs. “The bows for our own pets came out so well that friends and family began asking if they could buy them, and that’s how our business began,” Danielle said excitedly. Danielle and her friends make sailor bows, bow ties, bandanas, matching keychains, and scrunchies for dogs and their human counterparts! Their bows and bow ties can be purchased locally at A.W. Browns in East Longmeadow or on their website. They donate some of the proceeds to rescues, shelters, and dog foster families. “This business has been so rewarding for us! In the first couple months, we were able to donate $1000 to Dakin,” Danielle said. They love to join craft fairs and are excited to see where this journey takes them because “making pet owners happy is just such a great feeling!”

After graduating from LHS, Jonathan chose a different career path. While Danielle thrived in school, they both recognize and support that college is not for everyone. School was not Jonathan’s strong area and he much preferred working with his hands. After high school, Jonathan went right into the trades and became a plumbing apprentice. This decision was tough for him because he did feel the societal pressure to at least give college a try. Jonathan said, “My father works in construction and he was part of the team working on the new LHS building so he got to know a lot of the local tradesman. He was able to connect me with a plumber in town who allowed me to shadow him during school vacation.” Jonathan enjoyed the hands-on experience and could see himself excelling in that field in ways that he had not experienced in the classroom. He felt that starting a plumbing apprenticeship so young would be a great opportunity for him. Jonathan has been plumbing for over 10 years and is currently self-employed running his own business, Alger Plumbing. As Jonathan said, “I definitely thrive as a plumber working with my hands. I’m good at it and I enjoy being able to help people, albeit in a slightly different way than Danielle, and it provides me with a good life.” Due to the workload and demand of running his own plumbing business, Jonathan spends most of his time working. He does enjoy golfing at Twin Hills Country Club in his free time and is looking forward to nicer weather.

“They are a huge part of our lives and we are just obsessed with them,” Danielle said with a laugh. They adopted Douglas from Dakin and Ellie from PAWS New England. Jonathan added, “Doug was the runt of the litter and had some health issues when we first got him. He was allergic to everything and struggled with GI symptoms. We would have to take him outside every two or three hours at night. It felt almost like having a newborn!” Danielle noted that it was quite challenging and exhausting in the moment, but they enjoy looking back and laughing about it now.

Longmeadow has a lot to offer as a town and especially as a community. It is not surprising to see why Danielle and Jonathan wanted to stay here. Danielle mentioned that she really appreciates all the sidewalks, which she has definitely taken for granted. She added, “I didn’t realize that sidewalks were a big perk of Longmeadow. I’ve always felt safe walking around town.” They both agree that growing up and now they have always had such wonderful neighbors, which emphasizes the community feel. “It is nice to feel welcomed around the neighborhood and not alone whether it’s getting help with landscaping, dog walking, or information on what’s going on with trash pickup or why the power went out. We feel happy here,” Danielle said.

The couple has two rescue dogs named Douglas and Ellie. They are both (along with her friends’ dogs) a huge inspiration for Rescute Bows and can often be found modeling the bows.