Emma could have sworn Colton was wearing a bolo tie the first time she saw him during their veterinary school interviews at UC Davis in winter 2016, but Colt begs to differ. Nonetheless, he caught her eye (the 40:1 female to male ratio probably didn't hurt, but she would have noticed him regardless). Fortunately, they were both accepted to UCD and started veterinary school together in the fall of 2017. They kept their distance during first semester, but slowly became friends by the end of first year. Friendship (with flirtatious undertones) transitioned into romance by second semester of year 2, and Colton and Emma made their relationship official in spring of 2019. They dated for the remainder of veterinary school and weathered the pandemic together while quarantined at Colton's house in Dixon. The relationship was put to the test when Emma matched at NCSU for rotating internship in Raleigh, NC. They survived two years of long distance while Colton remained in California at his long-awaited job in Ione, and Emma finished her internship and research fellowship in North Carolina. They confronted the stress and uncertainty of the match process together, and Colton ultimately made the incredible sacrifice to join Emma in Florida for her surgical residency at UF. Fortunately, he struck gold with another fantastic job in equine sports medicine, and the couple is enjoying life in Florida more than they ever thought possible. Their California dogs, Willow and Moose, have adapted to Florida life almost as well as their dad, who bought a boat and makes comments not infrequently about staying here forever. Colton and Emma got engaged surrounded by manatees in April 2024, and cannot wait to wed back home in California in September 2025.

The Story of Us: A Poem *Est. 2019* Emma swears a bolo tie, that day, At Davis interviews in winter gray. Colton insists, “No way, not true!” But he caught her eye in the vet school queue. Forty to one, but he stood apart, A guy that managed to snag her heart. Fall of '17, they began their quest, Kept some distance, which was probably best. By year’s end, a spark took root, Flirtatious banter in friendship’s suit. Year two rolled in, romance bloomed, In spring '19, they sealed their tune. Through vet school’s grind, they stuck like glue, Quarantined in Dixon, just them two. The pandemic hit, but they stayed strong, Together in chaos, right where they belong. The test came next—long-distance blues, Emma’s Raleigh, Colton’s California views. Two years apart, but love held fast, Through calls and flights, they made it last. Colton took the leap, made a bold move, Florida bound, for Emma’s groove. He found a job that fit just right, Equine sports under Florida’s light. Their dogs, Willow and Moose, fit right in, Florida life, where adventures begin. Colton’s got a boat, and a Florida dream, Whispers of forever with a sunlit gleam. In April, with manatees all around, Colton knelt on Florida ground. A proposal sealed in nature’s view, And now, a wedding, set for ‘25’s debut. From Cali roots to Florida skies, Together they soar, love never dies.