Ernest and Shelisa met on the OSU Newark Campus with help from Shelisa's cousin, Leah. She told Ernest, "You should talk to my cousin; she's not skinny or anything, but she's cute." So Ernest and Leah walked up to Shelisa in the school gym mid-thigh press. Ernest introduced himself, and the rest was history.

What a surprise! It was Christmas Eve, and Ernest had just finished dropping Shelisa off at home. Shelisa lay down to go to sleep when she received a phone call from her cousin, Ebony. Ebony instructed her to go downstairs, look under the Christmas tree, and retrieve the pink gift labeled number one. Shelisa opened the gift and, to her astonishment, found a sparkly pink shoe jewelry box. Inside, there was a card from Ernest stating she was the perfect fit. It was already midnight as she went to bed after this unexpected surprise. Shortly after, her good friends Marcia and Kristi called and urged her to go downstairs and open the second gift, the pink bag marked number two. In her sleepy voice, Shelisa exclaimed that Ernest was pushing it. Nevertheless, she headed downstairs and opened the gift. Inside was a golden bracelet. She also found a note instructing her to come outside and retrieve a golden ring. Confused, she read the note over and over again as she went back upstairs. Recalling the sound she had heard earlier and the words in the note, she opened the blinds wide in her room. To her amazement, she saw Ernest outside, dressed impeccably in a velvet red suit jacket, with balloons tied to the mailbox, spelling out "Will You Marry Me?". Excitedly, she ran downstairs, opened the garage. At that moment, he knelt down on one knee and asked, "Shelisa Sudnary Morgan, will you marry me?