Joann and I met during her on campus interview process at UNI. I was her host and my job was to guide her through the interview process and be there to answer any questions. Obviously I noticed right away that she was gorgeous, but what stood out to me was how darn cool she was. She was easy to talk to, had similar interests, and had an undeniable zest for life. After the interview process, I was really hoping she would choose UNI so I could work with her and get to know her better. When she arrived at UNI, we started hanging out most nights after work and we became quick friends. I decided that I needed to make a move before all the other eligible bachelors of Cedar Falls realized she had arrived. Within the first week of Joann starting her job, we went on our first date. From there, Joann opened my eyes to religion and after a few months of exploration, I accepted Jesus Christ into my life. I opened Joann’s eyes to Iowa Hawkeyes football, not as impactful, but she looks real good in black and gold. We then made our relationship official and have been inseparable since then. Over the next two years, Joann and I worked out together, led a small group Bible study in my basement, and volunteer at our church. These activities helped us grow in our love and appreciation for each other. In October of 2018, Joann and I took a trip to the Netherlands and France. While on top of the Arc De Triomphe in Paris, I asked Joann to marry me. It was the most exciting and terrifying moment of my life so far, but I could not feel more lucky. I fall more in love with her everyday and I’m so excited to celebrate it with the people in our lives that we love and cherish. Nick

I was immediately impressed with Nick. He was the kindest and most thoughtful person during my interview process. I was sick and he bought me cough drops and offered me tea. By the end of the day I was sad to say goodbye. When I was offered the position, I was excited for the opportunity to get to know Nick better! We had connected well during the interview and I knew we would be good friends, clearly I was right. It did not take long at all before we were spending most of our free time together. We started out as gym partners where Nick helped me make some gains in muscle strength and basketball skills. We went on walks, ate many meals in the Rialto Dining Center, and even began attending church together. It was so cool to learn and grow in faith with Nick as he began exploring what it meant for him to be a follower of Christ. I love the way Nick thinks and always appreciate hearing his thoughts and perspective. Not too long after we started dating, Nick got baptized. This was an incredibly special day and his entire student staff showed up to the church to support. Another thing I love about Nick, is his capacity to care so well for those in his life. His students adore him, because he cares for them so well. Nick’s selfless love for others is one of the many reasons why I love him. A year and half later Nick and I ended up on the top of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris where he nervously got down on one knee to ask me to be his wife. That was the most exciting “yes” of my life! Joann