In Spring 2019, when Sam was considering potential Master of Public Policy (MPP) programs, he decided to visit Ann Arbor during the University of Michigan Ford School's admitted student weekend. As part of the weekend program, he joined a school tour led by a cute first-year graduate student sporting a soft pink blazer and toting a massive iced coffee drink. That friendly, caffeinated tour guide was Sophie. After the tour and dinner at Pizza House, some current “Fordies” invited Sam and other admitted students to join them as they visited popular Ann Arbor bars. They ended up in Kerrytown where Sam and Sophie struck up a conversation at Aut Bar (R.I.P.). As Sam was getting ready to leave, Sophie gave Sam her phone number in case he “had any questions about Michigan”. Sophie swears this overture was nothing more than being friendly and part of her job, though those closest to Sophie have suggested she was playing the long game. Fast forward to Fall 2019 when Sam arrived on campus as a new student, and was finally able to reconnect with his former tour guide (who had a fuzzy recollection of him). They began dating in January 2020 and the rest, as they say, was history!