Mya and Justus's journey began in seventh grade at Phillips Preparatory School in Mobile, Alabama. What started as a middle school friendship blossomed into young love when they became each other’s middle school sweethearts on May 29, 2014. Life took them on separate paths when Justus moved to Prattville, Alabama after middle school, but their bond remained strong, staying in touch despite the distance. In 2017, Justus returned to Mobile for his junior year of high school. However, it wasn’t until their Phillips Preparatory School reunion the following year that they reunited in person. They spent time together as friends that summer before heading off to college—Mya to The University of Alabama and Justus to Tuskegee University. During college, their friendship grew. They became best friends, sharing long Snapchat streaks and even longer FaceTime calls. Though Justus often joked to friends and family that Mya was his “future wife,” their relationship remained platonic during college. A month after Mya graduated from the University of Alabama, she drove to Montgomery for Justus's track team's Welcome-back celebration after his 5th-place finish at the NCAA Track and Field Outdoor Championships. That day is when Justus says he realized his feelings for Mya had deepened. Two weeks later, Justus asked Mya on their first official date (as adults). Over queso and chimichangas at Aztecas Mexican Restaurant in Saraland, Alabama, they talked and laughed until the restaurant closed. Mya says that after this date, she realized she also developed feelings for Justus. That summer, they spent as much time together as possible before Mya moved to Miami, Florida, to start law school. Even with the challenges of long-distance, Mya and Justus’s relationship thrived. They maintained their daily FaceTime calls and prayed together every night, asking God to make a way for them to be together. Their bond became official when Justus asked Mya to be his girlfriend on October 13, 2023, during her fall break visit to Montgomery. Over the next year, their love endured countless flights between Miami and Montgomery and bittersweet goodbyes. In May 2024, Justus graduated from Alabama State University, and the couple reunited for another summer, both interning in Montgomery. As Mya sadly prepared to return to law school, God stepped in. Their prayers were answered when Justus received a last-minute offer to run track at St. Thomas University in Miami, just minutes away from Mya's law school. Shortly before settling into their new chapter in Miami, Justus proposed to Mya on the beach in Destin, Florida on July 28th, 2024—a moment that marked the beginning of the rest of their lives together. Now, they can’t wait to begin this next chapter together, celebrating their love with all of you.