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Mark and Claire first met freshman year at UW–Madison, when they lived on the same floor of Ogg Residence Hall. Although this marked their first encounter, they never really interacted much Freshman year (booooo). They were sent home during the second half of Freshman year, pushing our love story to another day! Their shared major in Biomedical Engineering brought them back together junior year, and Mark knew he had to act quickly—before another pandemic could intervene. They began studying together, both attempting to use the other for their smarts, and slowly a spark began to form. What started as conversations about school and other not-so-exciting topics turned into something deeper as they learned more about each other’s lives. Just as things were gaining momentum, Claire made the decision to move far, far away to England, once again placing their budding love story on pause. During the months apart, Mark made sure to stay on her radar, sending a crafty and witty DM that Claire described as “corny”—though its success spoke for itself. Claire returned to Madison the summer before senior year, and the two began spending time together. When classes resumed, they found themselves sitting next to each other and walking home from class together most days. Those walks became the foundation of something more, as shared stories and laughter turned the spark into a steady flame. Eventually, Mark worked up the courage to ask Claire out, and a first date was planned—only to be canceled a few days beforehand, with a promise of a rain check. That second “first date” finally arrived in the form of a perfect night filled with Mexican food, great conversation, and the beginning of a love that only continued to grow.