Mike and Isabelle met a while back during high school, in 2016. They both ended up taking Modern Global Studies because of scheduling conflicts, thank goodness! Isabelle noticed the quiet, studious boy who seemed to stick to himself and decided to make it her mission to get him to open up. Once Mrs. Harpold sat them together, they got to chatting! They would talk about what Mike was going to do post high school, Isabelle's fondness of Virginia Tech, and upcoming assignments that Mike forgot about during Mrs. Harpold's lessons. Beyond that, they didn't talk a whole lot. When Mike finally graduated high school, they lost touch. In 2021, Isabelle started to try to rekindle their connection. She found him on a social media platform, and once they reconnected, they started talking again. The reconnection moved very slowly, but very steadily. Soon, both parties began looking forward to each new text and to each new opportunity to connect. A year of texting from different parts of Virginia passed, and as soon as they could, they were trying to find ways to be in the same place at the same time. Mike, a normally shy kind of guy, worked up the courage to reach out to Isabelle and invite her out on a lunch date. They met at Chipotle. When Isabelle finally got to see Mike in person, after all that time, it was better than she could have imagined. Talking to him in person gave her the sense that they fit together perfectly. Mike was just excited for a lunch! They met up on July 4th, and talked so long, that the restaurant ended up closing, and Mike got a nice sunburn as a souvenir of their first "real date." After Chipotle closed on them, they went back to "meet Mike's brother, Joe". Mike just wanted an excuse to talk for longer. From that date on, they were pretty much always with one another. They did a few years of long distance until, finally, they got to be in the same area! The couple moved into Isabelle's parents' home after a year to save up for a house together once she graduated from JMU. After a few months of living with one another, Mike proposed to Isabelle at the Maymont Glow Garden! Of course, she said yes! And now here we are! Our love for one another has continued to grow. We have proven to choose one another time after time and will continue to choose one another. I can't wait for a lifetime of being with my favorite person! Thank you for choosing me, Mike. -Isabelle