We both were attending our freshmen year of college at South Dakota State University. When one of my friends decided that all Nebraska people that go to SDSU have to know each other, so I should totally know this guy from Wayne. I was thinking to myself "I have never been to Wayne in my life, but hey why not!" So we met and I came to the already known fact that I indeed do not know who this guy is, but we exchanged our Snapchat names and then nothing happened for like 3 months besides a wave in the hallway or on the way to class. Then two weeks before we all were leaving for summer break, I get a snap saying "Come hang out with your Nebraska buddies." So a few of my friends and I traveled up to 3rd floor Pierson Hall to hang out with this newly found "Nebraska buddy" of mine. Well needless to say Cole and I spent the whole evening talking and I couldn't even tell you who was all in the room now because Cole and I had just clicked. After that evening we knew that there was definitely something that needed to be explored more.

My original proposal was supposed to happen at our family cabin near Pierre, South Dakota. The cabin has a lot of great memories for Katriona and myself, it's actually where we started dating. I had it all planned out for a couple of months ahead of time. I mowed an area near the cabin that overlooked the lake and had an awesome view of the area. Katriona once told me it was one of her favorite views. I originally was going to ask Katriona up there on Saturday of that weekend. Well, plans changed on Friday night when my brother tore his PCL during the first football game of the year. We ended up heading to Wayne and was I panicking about how to ask since my first plan fell through. I remembered that over the past few years she seemed to really like Ponca State Park so that's where we headed with a couple of our friends. I wanted to ask on an overlook of the river but there was ALWAYS someone else there. So we all walked over three miles of trails in the 95-degree weather until the overlook was vacant. When we finally made it to the overlook we were all dripping with sweat. I asked Katriona what her favorite part of the view was...when she was looking away I dropped to a knee and she asked what I was doing still clueless as to what was actually happening. I forgot all the lines I had rehearsed and so told her not to get too excited. And then I asked her to marry me. She replied with, “Are you serious?” When I finally convinced her I was indeed serious she said YES!