Chiara's first few meetings with Matthew were virtual before she started grad school at Princeton. She remembers meeting Matthew during Princeton's virtual visitation day - he said grad students should have a car on campus to get to K-bbq. Then she met him during a virtual meeting with her future labmates. At that time he had to leave early to attend a friend's birthday party. These interactions gave her the impression that he was a foodie and a social butterfly. Right before she committed to Princeton, Matthew was the first person to show Chiara around campus when she visited. He wasn't a very good tour guide, but he definitely left a positive impression that helped her decide to attend Princeton. At her first lab bbq she was impressed by Matthew's knowledge of firefly patterns... perhaps these were the first sparks.

After meeting Chiara during her first visit to Princeton, Matthew felt an instant connection, first as a friend and then as a partner and confidant. She was sociable and funny, and they instantly clicked, spending hours talking about anything and everything that came to mind. Her openness to exploring campus with him and willingness to accompany him on their many adventures (although she still prefers K-pop to country music) stole his heart. Chiara’s clear love for her friends (bringing Yufei to her first lab group dinner) and her enthusiasm for meeting new people are a testament to her open and caring personality and her excitement for life. While she may think of Matthew as a social butterfly, she is clearly the more sociable of the two and always brings out the best in Matthew. She truly is the perfect fit for him, and he cannot imagine his life without her.