Courtney and Shadarius have known each other since middle school. Courtney spent most of her time in Fairfield with friends, but the two never officially crossed paths. During new hire orientation at the start of the 2020 school year, Courtney recalls seeing Shadarius on the screen and noting that he was handsome. She never acted on the situation, but little did she know he would find her on Instagram months later. At the end of the school year, she posted a funny message her students had written to her Instagram story. Shadarius followed up the message with a jokey reply. After conversing on Instagram for a while, the two finally met in person for a date and have been communicating ever since!