We met our freshman year of high school at SUHI, thanks to our mutual friend Lainey. Jerico had known Lainey since middle school, and Emalyn became close with her through cheerleading almost instantly. Little did we know, one introduction would end up changing everything. One day, SUHI made it to the CIF basketball championships. Emalyn was there cheering with her team, while Jerico was in the stands supporting the game. At one point, the cheer teams started a tumbling battle to see who could flip the best. When Emalyn stepped up and threw her tumbling pass, the crowd went crazy and Jerico definitely noticed. The very next day, Jerico asked Lainey for Emalyn’s number… but there was one problem: he was too nervous to talk to her first. So instead, he had Lainey ask Emalyn to text him. Lainey reached out to Emalyn and said, “This guy thinks you’re cute, but he doesn’t want to text you first; he’s shy for some reason.” Emalyn had no idea who Jerico was, but decided to text him anyways because why not! One text turned into endless conversations, years and years of memories, and eventually engaged!

On their 10th anniversary, Jerico took Emalyn to Torrey Pines Gliderport. They spent the afternoon admiring the breathtaking coastline, watching the waves crash against the cliffs, and enjoying the unforgettable experience of flying together over the ocean. After taking in the majestic views from above, Jerico suggested they take some pictures by the cliffs. Emalyn happily agreed, thinking it was simply just for memories. Before heading out, Jerico made sure everything was perfect. He asked Emalyn to go back to the car and change into her dress so she could look extra beautiful for the pictures. While she was changing, Jerico quietly grabbed the ring hidden inside the trunk and slipped it into his pocket. Once Emalyn was ready, they gathered their belongings and walked toward the cliffs. Along the way, Jerico casually took pictures to make it seem like they were only there to capture memories together. Eventually, he led Emalyn to a spot he had carefully chosen, the perfect place to ask the biggest question of his life. With the ocean behind them, they spent a few moments taking photos of each other and soaking in the scenery. They were then standing side by side, silently admiring the beautiful view. As the moments passed, Jerico knew it was finally time. He turned to Emalyn and began speaking about how long he had waited for this very moment. Emotion filled his voice as tears started rolling down his face. Then, Jerico reached into his pocket, pulled out the ring, got down on one knee, and asked Emalyn if she would marry him. Without hesitation, Emalyn said “YES!”