Brooke and I met at Santa Clara University's orientation weekend in the summer of 2017. Brooke and I connected immediately and I knew that I had just made a lifelong friend. We talked over the summer and started studying together right away once the year started. We made the same friends, had many similar interests, and always found each other at the same parties. Despite the things we did outside of school together and our both studying engineering, we never shared a class together. However, where Brooke saw dating potential in me, I saw dating material in her; and I quickly began to fall in love. Our friendship grew closer over our first and second years, but in our third, things were different. Our friends went to study abroad and school became more challenging. We only saw each other occasionally and we struggled to make the ends of our friendship meet. Through it all, Brooke found the time to plan a trip to see our friends in Europe and convinced me to come along. By this time, my love for Brooke had grown and I hoped that this trip would bring us together. We had a wonderful time, but the spark hadn't caught flame... or so I thought. A few weeks passed after our trip and we both unknowingly set the same deadline for one another to make a move. I was in love, Brooke knew I was in love, but we didn't know how to start. We were at our deadline after years of waiting, then Brooke and I went to a party together, and the flame finally caught. We kissed in a suspiciously dusty attic and I wasted no time in asking her on our first date. The rest is history! Over the past five years, our relationship has been stretched and strengthened in so many ways. We made it through the pandemic, finished school, and survived over 3 years of long-distance dating. We've been to over 10 national parks, 6 countries, and 2 cross-country road trips with plenty of hikes and museums along the way. Our adventures are great in number and grand in stature, but none will compare to the adventure of life together. On October 10th, 2024, I asked Brooke to marry me atop a mountain with an unforgettable view of Mt. Rainier. Since then, we've been meticulously planning our wedding with the love in our hearts combined with our love for all of you. Brooke and I are so excited for these next steps and we are so happy to share them with you.