I had seen Kelly around Grounds a couple of times, but I first introduced myself at our university's food court. I was getting dinner with my mentor and when I looked over to my right, there she was, sharing a meal with some friends. When she stepped away from her table, I asked Jerry, "Let me know when she's coming back and I'll get up and go talk to her." When he gave me the signal, I stood up and started walking briskly toward her. I wanted to talk to her before she reached her friends' table. -Joshua

I was eating in the Pav with some friends when I said, very dramatically, "You know, I eat here all the time. Someday, a guy is going to walk up to me and tell me he's seen me around and ask me out." We all laughed and then I got up to go to the bathroom. On my way back to the table, it actually happened. A guy walked up to me. He told me he'd seen me around. I glanced at my friends who were pretending not to stare, and Michelle's phone caught my eye. She was looking at an Instagram post, a picture that said "God's time is perfect." -Kelly

I texted Kelly the next day asking her to go to a dessert party with me. I didn't realize though that the party was being hosted by her Christian Fellowship, Chi Alpha, so a lot of her friends were there. I thought our first date went well, but if you ask Kelly, she thought otherwise. The best part about that night though was walking Kelly back home in the rain. She was really trying hard not to get her hair wet and I thought it was the cutest thing ever. -Joshua

I know awkward first dates are normal, but when Joshua and I met up the next week, my nervous chatter and his nervous silence hadn't really improved much. So, we went our separate ways. Joshua and I reconnected a year later when my friend, Jada, pointed him out to me at a UVA football game. We got coffee a couple of days later, on a Sunday afternoon after church. This time, we had a lot more to talk about. It wasn't until I got home that I realized it was September 8th, the same day as our first date a year earlier. -Kelly

After two years of dating, I was ready to make our relationship official. I bought a ring and made plans to go golfing with Kelly’s dad in order to ask for his blessing. He gladly gave me his blessing on our trip and was very excited to have a future son-in-law. On September 8th, 2021, I drove Kelly to Washington Park for a celebratory two-year anniversary picnic. I’d been talking with Aunt Sandra for weeks and together, we made sure the proposal would be one to remember. When Kelly and I arrived at the park, our picnic area was decorated with pictures of us and red rose pedals accenting a white blanket. After Kelly finished taking it all in, I grabbed my guitar and serenaded her with “Beyond” by Leon Bridges. Finally, while expressing my love, I got down on one knee with the ring in hand and asked her to marry me. -Joshua