We're getting Married!

It all started in a General Education Chemistry class at the University of Dayton in the fall of 2016. Ellen sat toward the front of the lecture hall, punctual and prepared, while Jordan could usually be found rushing in at the last minute, taking a seat at the very top with his friend. Though they hadn’t spoken, they had certainly noticed each other—Ellen with a smile at his timing, and Jordan quietly telling himself that someday, he’d work up the courage to talk to her. That “someday” came sooner than either expected. Ellen had her first Pi Beta Phi sorority formal coming up and needed a date. Realizing she knew Jordan’s roommate, Sam Eagan, she asked if Sam thought Jordan might go—and if he could pass along his number. A text later, Jordan said yes, and their first night out together was filled with laughter, lighthearted dares, and a surprising number of matching guesses in their favorite game of “odds.” Months of late-night talks and campus hangouts followed, and by spring 2017, Jordan asked Ellen to officially be his girlfriend during a date in Cincinnati. After dinner at Montgomery Inn by the river, he surprised her with Reds tickets—setting the tone for many adventures to come. In 2019, life took them in different directions—Ellen to Southern California for a job with Amazon, and Jordan staying in Ohio. The distance was difficult, and they went their separate ways for a time. But love, as it turns out, has a way of finding its balance. In December 2020, Jordan called Ellen to share some news: he was moving to California—to her. Fast forward to August 16, 2025. After a perfect San Diego day—coffee at Coffee Coffee, a swim at Dog Beach, a grocery run for wings to grill, and a drive down the 101—Jordan brought Ellen to their favorite lookout near Torrey Pines known as “Sunset Seat.” As the sun dipped below the horizon, he asked her the question she’d been waiting for. And just like that, the chemistry that started in a college lecture hall had officially turned into a lifelong bond.