We met in high school, specifically during our Junior year. At that time, we both shared the same English class. We didn't talk much during this time, just through mutual friends. Senior year arrived, and we didn't have any classes together for the first half. Over break, I got a Facebook message from Sean, just a simple "Hey! :)". We talked a bit, but I eventually left him on read (oops!). We ended up having the same AP GOV class in our last semester. I would leave early from class because I went to EVIT for the last half of the day. I soon made a friend named Matt who was also in my AP class and who also went to EVIT. As time went on, Matt would tell me that Sean would ask questions about me. He would say, "Hey, Sean is a pretty cool guy; you should give him a chance," to which I would say, "But, it's Sean." One day, I got a text message from a number that I did not have saved. And you wouldn't guess who it was. It was Sean Missler. I asked how he got my number, to which he said Matt gave it to him. The next day, I asked Matt why he gave him my number without telling me. He said that Sean was afraid that I wouldn’t give it to him, so he asked him so he wouldn’t be rejected. I was a tad bit annoyed, but Matt reassured me by saying that Sean really likes me, he knows he is a great guy, and to give him a chance. So, I did. The year we get married marks 12 years together. It's safe to say the chance was well worth it. - Alyssa In 2011, I moved from a small town with a graduating class of 52 to AZ with a class of over 400. The culture shock alone almost killed me. So I joined Key Club to try and make some friends. Fast- forward a few months, and one of the girls wanted an interview because she had a crush on me. I walked into the Scholastic room to answer some tough questions for a 17 year-old…then I saw the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, Alyssa Rodriguez. Completely dazed, I didn't remember anything from the interview, I just started searching her name on social media to creep on her. Next year we had English and AP Gov together. She wouldn't even look at me during English but AP Gov was a different story. I started my classic tactic of “telling jokes nonstop until you laugh.” I made her laugh a few times, so I knew I was in boys. She always left early for EVIT, so my time was running thin. She added me back on Facebook but ghosted me after a few messages…we won’t discuss my teenage approach to women. Then I came up with a clever plan to avoid rejection. I asked her friend Matt for her number. He laughed and said, “Oh man, you got this, here”. From the first couple of messages, she was not too thrilled with my approach. She would always say “Ew, it's Sean,” a crushing statement I'll add. But through sheer determination, good looks, and a little bit of luck, Lyssie gave the goofy kid a chance. We have been together for over a decade and will be celebrating our love on June 7th, 2026. -Sean