Dean and Hadessah first met in the Fall of 2022. Hadessah had just started her first year at UVA, and Dean had just taken a leave of absence to prepare for a sailing trip. They had introduced themselves to each other a couple of times but did not interact much. November came around and Dean left on his sailing trip for 2 1/2 months with his brother. Dean returned in February, and with a tinge of embarrassment, he realized that he did not remember Hadessah's name. He knew they had spoken multiple times before, but he was drawing a blank on her name. Soon after the final introduction, Dean invited Hadessah to a Superbowl watch party, then out to several lunches, and by March 24, 2023, they were officially dating (apparently caffeinating him with boba tea boosted his courage, haha)! Dean proposed to Hadessah on August 3, 2025.