Kelly and James first met at The University of Arizona when James, as student body president, interviewed Kelly for a position in student government. They both still remember what Kelly was wearing but what really impressed James was her passion for education policy. A year later they found themselves in a similar situation when James interviewed Kelly for a spot on the Bobcats Senior Honorary. So, it's UofA we have to thank for their love story, bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase “Wildcats for Life”.

Kelly was spending time with her parents in Los Angeles prior to starting graduate school at Stanford and James was in the Bay Area working long hours at a law firm. While still in pj's (at 1 pm!), Kelly answered a surprise knock on the door and it was James who’d planned a weekend away. “Pack your bags, we’re heading to Santa Barbara!” Ever the expert planner, James had actually arrived much earlier that morning and gone to breakfast with Scott to ask his permission to marry his daughter. They then went to Sandra’s third-grade class to ask for her blessing in front of her entire class. The third graders were ecstatic! Pulling up to the Four Seasons Kelly was still confident an engagement was not pending (why would James let valet carry their bags in if the ring was there?) and settled into the leisurely weekend ahead. Walking to join a group wine tasting, Kelly found herself stepping over beautiful rose petals in the shape of a heart and immediately thought they were interrupting someone else’s moment. Once James took Kelly’s hand, it was clear the moment was theirs. With the ring tucked in his sock, he got down on one knee and the rest is history (literally, because Kelly blacked out but James swears she said yes). Champagne was waiting and the celebration began!

At UofA, we were friends in a group of friends and always found ourselves dating other people. We felt a hint of something possible while on a “kind of date” over sushi, but life took us out of Arizona. Kelly moved to Boston for a job in education technology and James left for law school in L.A. A year or so later at a Fourth of July party, sparks flew and their love story began. Their long-distance relationship had a defining moment in Santa Barbara where it became clear it was the real deal. Now, years later, both Kelly, James and Harley are living in LA. Kelly is working in management consulting at Bain and James is a corporate attorney at Cooley, and Harley (their dog) still doesn't have a job. We’re looking forward to May 2022 and celebrating with all of you!