Marli first met Jesse at SUNY Plattsburgh in Clinton dining hall. Jesse saw that she was wearing a Rhinebeck hoodie, recognized the town from where he grew up and decided to introduce himself. He tapped her on the shoulder and asked if she was from Rhinebeck. She was confused and said, “Yeah, how did you know that?” He pointed at her sweatshirt and they both laughed. Marli would often see Jesse riding his longboard around campus and remembered him from that day in the dining hall. They would smile at each other in passing but didn’t get the chance to talk. About a year later, a fire alarm during a casting call for Plattsburgh State Television brought them back together. Jesse offered an umbrella to Marli in the rain. They talked and felt a connection so they exchanged numbers and starting hanging out shortly after.