Jack and Melissa met in 2016 during their freshman year at Florida State University (go Noles!). Jack moved into the dorm directly across the hall from Melissa’s best friend, Mason. One of the first times they really hung out was at the on-campus Chili’s. What started as casual dorm hangouts quickly turned into spending more and more time together!
In the summer of 2018, while Jack was back home in Washington and Melissa was in Florida, Jack called Melissa while she was driving home from work and asked her to be his girlfriend on May 30, 2018. Woohoo! They spent the rest of their college years together in Tallahassee, but summers, holidays, and even a study abroad adventure meant months of long distance at a time.
After finishing their undergraduate degrees, they continued on at Florida State for graduate school before starting their next chapter together. In 2021, Jack moved to Richmond, Kentucky to begin his PsyD program at Eastern Kentucky University while Melissa finished her master’s degree at FSU, meaning one more year of long distance. The day after Melissa graduated in April 2022, they packed up the car, said goodbye to Tallahassee, and drove to Kentucky to officially start their life together!
After a few months in Richmond, they moved to Lexington, Kentucky, where they spent the next three years building a life together. In February 2023, they adopted Rudy, a crazy (yet very lovable) Weimaraner/Labrador mix pup. Lexington brought so many great memories - strengthening relationships with family, making lifelong friendships, and even getting the opportunity to work together for a year at Eastern State Hospital. In April of 2025, Jack matched to a hospital in Norwalk, California to complete the final requirement of his PsyD program - a year-long internship. Before taking off for California, they decided to make the most of their summer by spending one month with Melissa’s family in Florida and one month with Jack’s family in Washington.
While in Florida, they went out to dinner on June 28, 2025 for a late anniversary celebration. After dinner, they went for a walk on the beach, and that’s when Jack popped the question. Melissa made the easiest decision of her life and said yes!
On August 14, 2025, Jack and Melissa made the drive down from Washington to Long Beach, California to start their newest adventure together. They have loved exploring Southern California, living near the beach, and experiencing a completely new part of the country. After years of college memories, long distance, cross-country moves, and building a life together one chapter at a time, Jack and Melissa are so excited for what lies ahead and can’t wait to celebrate with all of their favorite people in March 2027!