Hope Noelle Gandy was born to Christopher and Kelly Gandy on December 20th, 1998. She grew up in Fayetteville, Georgia where she attended Whitewater High School. In high school, Hope enjoyed participating in the Colorguard and HOSA Competitive Healthcare Team, as well as various other clubs and groups. After assisting in caring for her grandparents while they lived with the family during her junior and senior year, Hope decided to pursue a career in nursing. She attended the University of North Georgia, where she was a member of Phi Sigma Pi National Honor Fraternity. In 2019, she moved to Orlando, where she participated in the Walt Disney Company’s College Program. She graduated with her Bachelor’s degree in Nursing during May of 2021, then promptly served as an Intensive Care Unit nurse. Following the couple’s recent move to Charlotte, NC, Hope is now working as an Operating Room nurse and undergoing classes to pick her surgical specialty. Her passions include Painting, playing Dungeons and Dragons, camping/traveling, and anything related to Disney!

Joseph Edwin James Martz was born to Richard and Tammy Martz on February 15th, 1999. He grew up in Buford, Georgia where he attended Mill Creek High School. In high school, Joseph enjoyed running track and cross country as well as participating in FCA. Growing up, Joseph adored learning about his Grandfather’s antique car collection and eventually developed a passion for vehicles and their engines. This love drove him to pursue both a Bachelor’s degree in Physics as well as in Mechanical Engineering. He attended the University of North Georgia for his Physics degree, where he and Hope met in a Film Appreciation class. After the completion of UNG’s dual degree requirements, he transferred to Clemson University where he participated in the Formula SAE Racing Team. He graduated from both Universities in December of 2022 and now works as a Design Engineer for HYDAC Cooling Systems. His favorite pastimes include hiking, camping, fishing, and fixing his cars, of course!

Joseph and Hope met by a complete twist-of-fate. Having both recently gotten out of a relationship, neither one was really in the market to date again. A friend of Hope’s came over under the guise of taking her to go play video games but instead drove to a big party. The event ended up being thrown by Joseph’s roommate, and the guest count was much larger than those who had been invited, surprising Joseph as well. Neither had expected to be in the situation in which they found themselves. Both Hope and Joseph didn’t drink at the time, and he quickly noticed she was uncomfortable. He tried to offer her food, a place to get away, anything to make her feel better. Feeling quite overwhelmed and completely misinterpreting Joseph’s kind gesture, Hope turned him down and didn’t even catch his name. (However, she remembered him angrily eating a seriously oversized salad, and called him “salad boy” to herself and her friends for a few weeks). Later that month, Hope was walking in the parking lot with friends after a fraternity planning meeting. She dodged out of the way of a speeding car, shattering her phone in the process. With only one class left for the day, she rushed out and dropped off the phone to get it fixed, then attempted to make her way back to campus in time. Frazzled, skinned knees, sweater torn, and hair a mess, she made it back to Film Appreciation class…..15 minutes late. Walking into an overfull classroom, alone, she stood in the corner as a janitor dragged in an extra chair. She can still recall the feeling of nervousness and the sensation of “all eyes on me.” As it turns out, somebody’s were. She stayed after class to get the notes and apologize to the professor. Joseph stayed after as well, pretending to have a question for the professor. Embarrassed, Hope offered to let him ask his question first, and he stumbled, unable to conjure an inquiry. After gathering the notes, Hope left, and Joseph followed her out. They sat on the patio talking for hours, past the sunset. Joseph kept saying he found Hope familiar, but neither one could figure it out. He walked her back to the dorm, ensuring she got home safely and buying time to ask for her number. After telling him she left her phone in the shop, Hope was convinced he would think she was trying to dodge him. She put her own number in his phone, and they went their separate ways for the night. Later that week, when Hope got her phone back, she immediately saw several texts from Joseph. The couple started talking, and he finally invited her over to his apartment to watch the necessary films for their homework together. It wasn’t until Hope arrived at the apartment that they recognized each other from the party (and Hope realized and admitted to knowing him as “salad boy” from that event). They spent the rest of that semester bonding over films and blossoming into a couple. To this day, the couple still jokes about the crazy situation that brought them together, even the giant salad. Hope and Joseph are excited to have the roommate who threw the party as one of our best friends and now groomsmen as well.