Kaitlyn and Alex are in a long-distance relationship. They've been dating for 3.5 years. Kaitlyn is doing graduate school with the University of Illinois online! She is taking Recreation Sport Tourism classes for her master's degree and lives in Columbia. Alex is in the Air Force, looking to finish his degree and begin his college classes in geography soon! He lives at Beale AFB near Sacramento, CA. Read below to learn more about their story as a couple or scroll to the bottom of the page for a timeline!!

2012 Kaitlyn and Alex both grew up in Columbia. They met in 2012 in Mrs. Touchette's 3rd grade class. They were in band together since 5th grade, Alex played the trumpet and Kaitlyn played the clarinet. They were classmates but not friends until senior year of high school when they formed a senior band friend group to all go to homecoming together in 2021.

2022 Alex liked Kaitlyn in October of 2021 during senior year homecoming, but they stayed friends in their friend group for a while. Alex joined Kaitlyn's youth group that December and they started going to church together as friends. They were both in the high school's spring musical, "Nevermore", and grew closer. Alex asked Kaitlyn to prom as friends in March of 2022, and she later asked him if they could go as more than friends after a lot of teasing and encouragement from her girl best friends in April. That's when she started liking him back. They went on their first date on April 22nd, 2022, the day before Prom. They went to Fitz's for dinner and then to the park. Good thing the date went well, or Prom would have been awkward the next day. May 13th, 2022 Alex and Kaitlyn finally started dating. This was one day before high school graduation, so they are technically high school sweethearts by one day! Kaitlyn asked Alex to be her boyfriend while they were taking a walk on the Columbia bike trail. She knew he would say yes because he hinted that he wanted to ask her since Prom, but wanted to wait until Kaitlyn was ready to start dating.

Alex kissed Kaitlyn at Art Hill in Forest Park in St. Louis while they were on a picnic.

Different Colleges Kaitlyn went to college at ISU in the fall of 2022 while Alex attended SWIC. They were always excited to visit each other and for Kaitlyn to come home during the summer and for Christmas break. The 2.5 hour drive was just long enough to keep them apart for most of the year, but they stayed connected through texting and video calling. God was there through it all! In 2023, Kaitlyn worked at a summer camp that kept her away most of the summer. It felt like long distance again, so in the summer of 2024 they made the goal of seeing each other every day (other than when they were away on vacation with their families), even if it was just for 20 minutes. It was a goal that strengthened their relationship. Military Alex decided to join the military in January of 2024 and went to basic training in December of 2024 through February 2025 in San Antonio, TX while Kaitlyn attended ISU. He joined the Air Force. It was a lot of letter writing and trusting in God's plan for them, and it was the most difficult stretch of long distance yet. After Alex's basic training graduation in February 2025 (Kaitlyn got to tap him out!), he moved to San Angelo, TX for technical school.

Alex bought a ring in April and proposed on May 24th, 2025 at San Angelo State Park when Kaitlyn visited him for Memorial Day weekend. She visited him in Texas to originally celebrate their anniversary and her college graduation, but they ended up with one more thing to celebrate! He somehow kept it a complete surprise and she had no idea he already bought a ring. They even went to look at rings at jewelry stores together earlier that day and Alex played along. The engaged couple got to see each other again for 4th of July this year and Alex got to come home to work at a recruiting office in St. Louis for 2 weeks in September and again in November to surprise Kaitlyn at her surprise Bridal Shower. Kaitlyn visited Alex in November, and they decided on Lincoln, a suburb of Sacramento, to live in once they get married. They'll ring in their wedding year together as Alex got approved to come home for New Year's.

Though they are back to long distance, they trust in God's timeline for them and they are making the most of their time apart to work on themselves as a partner for the other. Alex has wanted to marry Kaitlyn since Christmas of 2022, so he's beyond ready for their special day. They can't wait for May 30th to celebrate the end of long distance with you!