Justin and Shannon met as volunteers for the Penn State Dance Marathon in 2014. They were both selected for a committee that helped spread the philanthropy’s mission and get more people involved. At the first committee meeting, Shannon noticed Justin, but not in a good way. He walked into the meeting wearing sweatpants and giant headphones around his neck, looking like he didn't have a care in the world. Justin on the other hand, had a completely different reaction when he first saw Shannon. He knew right away that he needed Shannon in his life. After working together for several months, Shannon and Justin got closer and Shannon began to see that Justin had many of the same values as her, and also that he had a soft side that really cared about everyone he came in contact with. However, Shannon was still unsure of she wanted to be in a relationship at the time. But, after rejecting Justin 3 times, she finally agreed to start dating him Justin graduated in 2015, while Shannon still had 3 years of school left, including a semester in Italy. Dating long distance was not always easy, but Justin and Shannon made it through and became stronger and closer than ever because of it. Eventually, after Shannon graduated, they moved in together.

Justin knew after 4 years of dating that he wanted to ask Shannon to marry him. So after getting permission from her dad, which was no easy task since they lived in North Carolina, he gathered all of his and Shannon’s friends and family at the Penn State versus Pitt tailgate on September 14th 2019. Justin had convinced Shannon to meet up with him later in the morning so he could “say hello to some old friends.” When Justin told Shannon to meet him at the Penn State Arboretum, Shannon was surprised that Justin was not there. Instead, Shannon found a laptop with a video counting down from an entire year before that showcased all of their friends and family finding out he was going to propose. After the video, which Shannon had to sit through 13 minutes of, Shannon turned around to find Justin on one knee and she shouted YES!!! But the surprises were not over, for Justin had invited all of their friends and families to the tailgate and they were all hiding in the bushes (literally) to surprise her. Shannon was extremely overwhelmed, but it was the easiest decision she has ever had to make. Justin and Shannon cannot wait to marry each other and celebrate their love with their loved ones.