Our journey began in an 8am Spanish class during our freshman year at Hood College. For Austin, seeing Makhalia’s face was the only motivation to make it to class that early—but little did we know, that classroom would be where something truly special began. What started as casual conversations and shared laughs slowly grew into a close friendship. Over time, that friendship blossomed into a beautiful relationship built on love, trust, and faith. Now, over five years later, we've experienced so much side by side—from landing our first jobs, traveling the world, navigating adulthood, to being baptized again and continuing to grow spiritually and emotionally. Our love has only deepened with every step of the journey. We are deeply grateful for every moment that has led us to this point. As we begin this next chapter of our lives together, we will be having an intimate civil ceremony on June 3, 2025. We look forward to celebrating our love with all of you at our wedding on May 15, 2026—surrounded by the people who mean the most to us. -Austin & Makhalia