Ethan and I met through mutual friends on April 13th, 2024 — completely by chance, and somehow we were both wearing striped shirts. Ethan’s opening line was, “Nice shirt!” Our friends encouraged us to take a picture together, not knowing that small moment would turn into something much bigger. We started talking and quickly realized we had both gone to Bethel University. I had even been a Teacher’s Assistant for one of Ethan’s classes the year before, but we had never met. With Ethan playing football and Bethel being a small campus, it’s surprising our paths hadn’t crossed until then. Ethan asked me out on our first date, and we went to Melt Pizza in Stillwater. We might not have said it out loud at the time, but we both knew there was something special. Since then, life together has been full of joy and laughter! We’ve loved attending Eagle Brook Church together, spending weekends with family at each other’s cabins, and even traveling to Europe with Ethan’s family. Then, on October 12th, 2025, at Pioneer Park in Stillwater, with a beautiful overlook, Ethan got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. Of course, I said yes! We couldn’t be more excited to celebrate our love and start this next chapter together this July!