Channing and Corey overlapped for 3 years while attending UNC (#goheels). It's almost a universal certainty that they brushed shoulders or were at arms reach from each other during their Chapel Hill days. However, their known paths crossed for the first time at Winston-Salem State University (WSSU) for the start of physical therapy school in 2016. Corey joined the WSSU Rams baseball team and tried to juggle academic and athletic pursuits during his first semester. Channing was singularly focused on being the top of her class; both agree that the conditions for romance were not ideal at first. Corey was surprised when Channing showed up to his baseball game with a personalized sign - a simple and friendly classmate gesture he thought. At the same game, Channing was selected and perhaps coaxed into performing some mid-inning entertainment. Channing absolutely crushed an air guitar solo on top of the home dugout as Corey and his teammates looked on in awe. That day's events were the catalyst of many conversations and Corey often considers it "the moment" he wanted to get to know Channing better. Channing is credited with boosting Corey's first-semester GPA. Corey believes he helped Channing find a better sense of school-life balance. Somewhere between stacks of books and endless study sessions, they found love!

Corey purchased tickets to a UNC vs. Michigan basketball game on December 1st, 2021. Family and friends were invited to join the fun and met us for dinner at The Graduate Hotel in Chapel Hill. The Graduate hotel is tailor-made for Tar Heels. It houses a replica of Michael Jordan's dorm room, as well as a replica of the UNC basketball court. After dinner, everyone headed up to the 3rd floor to check out the court. The whole crew began shooting hoops and then Corey announced: "Time for half court shots!". Everyone except Channing knew this was a cue to vacate the court. Channing was clueless, launching air balls from half court. Corey started talking, saying things like "has it occurred to you that we are at The Graduate Hotel and we met in grad school?". Corey puts up a shot and misses - everyone on the side line seems disappointed. Then he grabs the ball from Channing's hands and says, "I could miss a 100 shots but I'll never miss on you!". Channing blushed as the next shot went *swish*. She was even more stunned when Corey got down on one knee to propose. After a convincing "YES" Channing exhaled and thought to herself 'about daggum time.' The night proceeded with happy tears, video calls, surprise family sightings at the game, engagement t-shirts, and a 72-51 Carolina victory.