Seven years ago in October of 2017 I started my first job at Chick-fil-A as a sixteen year old with one shortsighted goal in mind, to buy a car. However, God had his own plan which was much more thought out than anything I could have come up with. After working there for just a month, Chick-fil-A hired a new front counter employee, someone perfect for the role and someone perfect for me. The first time I ever saw Caroline our friendship started immediately. I remember sitting there on my break just trying to recharge my social battery to the level required to work at a Chick-fil-A when this random girl with loads of energy and an infectious laugh sat down at the booth in front of mine. I remember wondering how this random girl who had worked there for just a couple days seemed to be best friends with every person who briefly visited her booth or walked past. It didn't take long for Caroline to randomly whip her whole body around and introduce herself before inviting me to her table. Caroline did not waste any time, the very instant that we finished introductions she bet me to eat hot sauce and salt off a spoon. And like any boy does when a pretty girl asks them to do a dare, I did it. That was the beginning of a lifelong friendship. As we grew as friends I learned how to work up front just so that I could talk to her and eventually I even convinced her to work in the kitchen with me. Over time I began to develop a crush on my hyper coworker but I never figured I had a real chance. That is until we both somehow got into UGA and God’s plan started to become more apparent. I will never forget the feeling of waking up the first morning as a college student in an empty dorm room in a new city trying to plan out the next few years, when God already had it all planned. Caroline and I got breakfast at the dining hall that first morning, a breakfast where the covid dining hall food was so bad that Caroline actually canceled her meal plan for the entire semester. But I will never forget sitting outside the dining hall laughing with Caroline and thinking about how excited I was to be at the same college as my sweetest friend. As freshman year went on we continued to grow closer as friends thanks to Caroline organizing our hangouts and study sessions (whenever she needed the answers to that week's accounting homework). As freshman year was coming to an end Caroline and I hung out one last time where we sat outside one night and talked until 4am when we probably should have been studying for finals. It was at this moment that I decided how much I really liked her as more than a friend and it became clear to me that I had never met anyone who I could talk to so effortlessly. I decided then that I would do whatever I needed to get her to go on a date with me. A couple nights after that night at UGA, Caroline and I went on our first date in July of 2021. After dating for a few years we got engaged in December of 2023, and we cannot wait for you all to experience our marriage with us in December of 2024. It seems like I have known Caroline for as long as I can remember, but the most exciting part is that this is just the beginning of all God has in store for us.

During Thanksgiving break in 2017, I started my first job at Chick-fil-A. I loved this job because of its fast-paced environment and the many friends I made. One memorable shift, I was sitting at a booth with a friend, unexplainably eating hot sauce and salt, when I noticed a kitchen employee sitting alone in another booth. To him, this was likely a rare moment of peace before returning to the hectic kitchen. However, to me, break time equaled fun time, so I invited him to join us and sample our peculiar snack. This moment sparked an unexpected and legendary friendship with Matt. From then on, I seized every opportunity to interact with Matt, even volunteering to work in the kitchen to spend more time with him. During one shift, Matt was the kitchen shift lead, and a coworker remarked, "I like when Caroline works back here; it makes Matt more fun and laid back." Matt was easy to talk to, making shifts fly by. I would always check his schedule, hoping our shifts would align, though I would have never admitted this to him! Fast forward to college, both Matt and I attended UGA. On our first morning in Athens, we had breakfast together at the dining hall with my roommate. Throughout the year, I continued to seek out Matt's company, and to get help with my Accounting coursework, but really just to spend time with him. One night, we stayed up all night outside my dorm, discussing our goals, dreams, and anything else that came to mind. It was effortless to be friends with Matt. After that long conversation, I told my roommate, "If Matt got down on one knee, I would immediately say yes." She replied, "I'm not surprised; I could tell you liked Matt from the first day I saw you together." Returning home for the summer, Matt and I resumed working at Chick-fil-A. By this time, everyone knew about our mutual crush. Finally, Matt asked me on a date, and the rest is history. The past three years have been the best of my life, and I wouldn't change a thing. I am so lucky to be marrying the most loving, loyal, and fun person, who will not only be my husband but also my best friend forever.