Please copy and paste this link into your browser https://youtu.be/jS3J23nBbVA

Her Perspective: I met Jackson on Aggie Awakening 111, a weekend retreat put on by St. Mary’s Catholic Center every semester. We were in the same small group, and we got to know each other throughout the retreat. I learned that we were both class of ‘20, and that we both enjoyed being in band; he was a percussionist in the Fighting Texas Aggie Band (whoop!), and I played the clarinet in one of the concert ensembles. My first impression of Jackson was that he was a sweet, hardworking, and courteous guy, as well as a devout Catholic. Courtesy of Aggie Awakening 111, we had each other’s phone numbers by the end of the retreat, and we kept in touch. :) His Perspective: Aggie Awakening was a very powerful retreat in many ways. Through our small group discussions, I noticed that Mariah and I had a lot in common. We had similar views and interests, and I couldn't help but notice how cute she was! I gave it some time, but on Easter I texted her a picture of the Pope Francis socks I was wearing to Mass. What can I say? She was hooked! After a summer of texting on and off, I invited her to experience Midnight Yell with the Aggie Band. I needed to know that she could handle how weird my friends are! She actually had fun (I think). Needless to say, she was invited to the next one :)

After that first Midnight Yell, we started getting lunch together weekly. On November 1, 2018, Jackson asked me to be his girlfriend! Throughout the next year, we went to Mass together, went dancing at Harry’s, had frozen yogurt dates, walked together on campus, and plenty of other Aggie things! Also, our relationship was practically sponsored by Chick-fil-a! :) During the spring semester, we took a big step and began praying together each night. Even though we were both incredibly busy (engineering and pre-med), we set time aside to spend with each other and to grow in faith. That summer, Jackson went on a Corps Excursion to Germany, then moved to Fort Worth to intern at Lockheed Martin. We grew closer despite the distance between us. In Fall 2019, we went to football games, Midnight Yell, Silver Taps, and much more together. "Drinking the Kool Aid" together is one of our favorite pastimes! Over winter break, after having the opportunity to spend time with each other’s families, we started discerning our vocation more seriously. On Valentine’s day, we began reading “101 Questions to ask Before You Get Engaged” by Norman Wright (HIGHLY recommended!). Not long afterward, the COVID-19 pandemic brought our busy lives to a halt. This was a challenging time for us, but we also had the opportunity to spend more time together (we didn’t social distance). The more time we spent with each other, the more we realized that we were called to spend the rest of our lives together. We’ve made so many memories together, and we are so happy that we have forever to make more!

Her Perspective: It was a Friday afternoon; Jackson drove in from Dallas (where he was staying for his internship) to spend the weekend in College Station. We had plans for a dinner date together at the Republic, so I wore something nice. He showed up at the door with a lovely bouquet of flowers, and we had a very romantic steak and wine dinner together. When the waiter asked if we were celebrating anything in particular, we both said no (which turned out to be false…). After dinner, I thought we were going to head back to my apartment and have a game night with some friends. However, Jackson said he needed to pick up a few things for his Capstone project on campus, so he asked if we could stop by the lab before going back. He had done this multiple times before, so I didn't think anything of it. He left me in the car while he went to get “the stuff.” A few moments later, my sisters/roommates walked around the corner, and they were all smiling at me. At this point, I knew exactly what was happening, and I started shaking like crazy! They hugged me and started walking with me toward the Century Tree, where Jackson was standing with the biggest smile on his face. There were rose petals and candles on the sidewalk, and lights dangling from the tree. On an easel were the words, “I have found the one whom my soul loves –Song of Solomon 3:4.” Jackson embraced me and held me as I tried to comprehend what was happening. Then, he started playing one of our classic two-stepping songs: Wagon Wheel by Darius Rucker. We danced together under the Century Tree, and my shakiness was replaced with laughter as he guided and spun me around. After the song ended, he took my hands and moved toward the bench. He got down on one knee, and asked me to spend forever with him (and I said yes!). He embraced me, kissed me, and placed the most beautiful ring I have ever seen on my finger. This day with Jackson was so special; I will forever treasure the memories from our engagement.