We first met in Nicole’s freshman year, in a car on the way to Grace Community Church (thanks Rides Team). Though nothing actually came out of that day (probably because I was too scared to approach her), Nicole already left an impression on me. She was a cute, smart girl from Fremont (which was only 30 minutes from my home) who shared the same last name with me. About a year later, I was returning to UCLA for my master’s as Nicole was entering her sophomore year. Lululemon was hosting an event, giving away free clothing for whoever would wait in line. As you might expect I couldn’t pass up something free. So, around 5am, I lined up with a friend, determined to get some free shorts. To my surprise, Nicole showed up about an hour later, joining us. We stayed in line for another 8 hours or so until we got our free clothes, a perfect opportunity to spark up conversation. Well, unsurprisingly, I did not initiate any meaningful interaction the entire time. We spoke maybe a few minutes in total. Thank the Lord for second and third chances. Later that night, Grace On Campus (GOC), our christian fellowship was hosting an ice cream social to close out welcome week. There, Nicole and I found our shared passion for ice cream. We bonded over our reluctance to eat it because of our ongoing diet at the time. That kicked off the start of several nights of too many hours of texting. After a few weeks of gymming together and probably too many late night talks, I finally mustered up the courage to ask Nicole on a date. We had our first date at Menya Tigre (one of our favorite curry/ramen restaurants on Sawtelle), the same night I asked her to be my girlfriend, on October 25, 2023. Since then, dating has been a sweet blessing from God. We often talk about how it’s felt like we’ve been dating for so much longer than we actually have. Upon my graduation in 2024, God’s been so kind in allowing me to work a full time remote job, granting me the opportunity to stay in LA close to Nicole, so we’ve never really had a long distance phase. Through our relationship, God’s grown us closer to each other, but more importantly closer to Him. As we navigated different challenges, we gained a greater understanding of God’s love for us as we sought to freely love and forgive each other. The more we dated, the more I was sure I wanted to marry Nicole. Following the palisades fires (where I actually planned to propose originally), Nicole and I went back home, where I proposed to her on January 12, 2025 by the Ritz Carlton - Half Moon Bay, surrounded by her family and a few close friends of ours. And yes, by God’s grace, Nicole was surprised by the proposal. Each day, I thank God for His kindness to us in our relationship, for blessing me with Nicole, a woman who truly fears the Lord. I cannot wait to marry her later this year.