Terah Henry | Staff Writer
Steve and Darlena found love in 1991. Photo by Eydie Mendoza
City College: a place of hopes, dreams and … love? Love seems like the last thing on a student’s mind while working toward his or her career goals. Darlena Belushin McKay and Steve McKay met back in the early ’90s but say their love grew during their time at City College.
Before they met, Steve photographed little league teams for a living, and Darlena was majoring in art history at Dominican University of California.
“You know those pictures you see when you go into Denny’s or something of little league teams? I did a lot of that,” laughs Steve.
“I first laid eyes on Steve at the Crocker,” explains Darlena. They met through friends at the art museum and later became involved through their work. They both admit there was not an instant connection.
“It was a relationship that developed over time,” admits Steve.
“He seemed brash. He hadn’t been out of the Army very long, and I think it was a little hard to adjust to civilian life,” says Darlena. It was his intelligence and kindness that drew her in. The second time they ran into each other was at an event they were covering for City College. “I fixated on his cute, curly hair and his blue eyes sparkling in the sunshine. I suddenly saw his easygoing manner and sense of humor.”
For Darlena, the moment she knew she liked Steve was when they were on assignment to shoot and write for a protest on Easter day in front of the Capital Christian Center. Steve was telling her about his nieces and about the strange photos they took with the Polaroid camera he gave them. “I thought it was the cutest thing,” smiles Darlena.
On their first date, Steve asked Darlena to tag along on an assignment to photograph the band Social Distortion for Sacramento States’ paper, The Hornet. Every time the lead singer sang the word “love,” he would spit. “It was kind of like, ‘Oh! This better not be some kind of comment on our date!’ which it wasn’t,” chuckles Darlena.
After just a few months, Steve and Darlena thought it was time to live together. “I knew he was the one. I’m pretty sure he thought I was the one, too.” Their one-bedroom apartment at The Thayer was their heaven to come home to at 3 a.m. after a long night of working on the Express. The historic building means so much to the couple; it’s where their relationship grew. A sparkle in their eyes appears when they talk about the memories made there. It’s also where Steve proposed to Darlena on the porch bench that remains there today. “It was my birthday, so I told her the greatest gift she could give me was to marry me.” He jokes that it was probably the worst decision she ever made.
The magic of their bond blooms among the roses at Capitol Park. || Photo by Eydie Mendoza
Going through the same life and career changes also made life easier for the two. “We kind of understood each other’s schedules and understood what the other person needed.” Darlena explains the key to maintaining a successful relationship while attending college is to, “help each other down the higher education path,” says Steve. “We laugh and have a great time!”
The connection they share is tangible. They had a hard time not giggling when asked to kiss in front of the camera. They light up and get lost in their history when they talk about how they met.
Darlena was introduced to journalism when she took Jan Haag’s writing class at City College. “I thought writers and journalists were from a different world.” She had no intention to become a writer. “Jan was the one who kind of took it for granted that I could actually work in journalism, which was a surprise to me because I didn’t realize that I could do that. Once I was on the Express, I saw what journalists did day to day and I realized I could fit in there somewhere.”
Now Managing Editor at SACRAMENTO magazine, Darlena considers herself to be successful. “Although I am a little over-stressed, I am in a good position. I have a good job that I enjoy, I have a great family, I have a great husband— obviously—and two kids that are shaping up rather nicely. Those are the main things.”
Steve, who is now a photojournalist and photography instructor at City College and American River College, says the most difficult part of being a photographer is the constant hustle, but he couldn’t see himself doing anything else. “Do what you love and find a way to make it pay the bills,” says Steve.
They both agree that they wouldn’t be where they are today without the skills and tools City College bestowed upon them. Darlena started out as an intern learning the ins and outs of the journalism world and eventually landed the spot as editor. When asked what is the most challenging part of her career she simply says, “Meeting deadlines.” As former editor of the Express, she says being a City College student was very critical to her career. “Everything I do here, I did at the Express.”
They have a remarkable appreciation for life. There is no work or trying involved in the relationship. “Everything is so interesting to me in the world. We have concrete results, but I also get to ponder what’s next. I’m just really interested in life and happy about it,” says Darlena.
The happily married couple now has two children, both ballet dancers, Finn 8, and Amethyst, 12. Finn agreed with me that he has some pretty cool parents. Steve gives a lot of credit to Darlena. “She’s happy all the time. The house could burn down, and she would find something good about it!” exclaims Steve. They don’t really do anything to keep the spark going in their relationship because it’s always going. The couple recently celebrated 14 years of marriage with a family dinner at Ernesto’s. “We’re committed to each other and to our family,” says Darlena.
