On March 12, 2016, two strangers boarded a bus at Everett Mall headed to Pullman, WA. Colin happened to be sitting next to someone Nina knew, and through that mutual friend, the two were introduced. The trio spent the entire five‑hour ride to their first college tour chatting about everything under the sun. By the time they arrived for the college tour, the group had split up, leaving just Nina and Colin. They spent the rest of the evening talking about their dream college experiences, their families back home, and soon discovered they lived only 15 minutes apart—even though they attended different high schools. When the tour ended, Nina and Colin exchanged numbers and quickly became close friends. So close, in fact, that Nina even tried setting Colin up with some of her friends (thankfully, none of those matches worked out!). Both committed to Washington State University (GO COUGS), and their friendship grew stronger as they found themselves hanging out and texting more than ever. When word spread that Colin needed a prom date, Nina secretly hoped he would ask her. One Saturday in May, the two had plans to go to the beach. Colin texted that he was outside, and when Nina stepped out, she found him there with his friends—asking her to prom. Just a week later, on May 14, 2016, while watching *Fat Albert*, Colin asked Nina to be his girlfriend. From then on, they shared milestones together: Colin’s prom, each other’s high school graduations, and countless summer days side by side. College brought new adventures, but they knew—even at 17 and 18—that they were meant to be together. They graduated from WSU, navigated quarantine, adopted their beloved fur baby Enzo, and traveled across the country during Colin’s two years of grad school. This past May, just a week before their nine‑year anniversary, Colin pulled off Nina's dream proposal. He proposed to at Discovery Beach Park and even included their dog, Enzo. He planned a perfect day and topped it off with a surprise engagement photoshoot and party, celebrating with their closest friends and family—including loved ones who traveled from out of state to be there. And now, nearly ten years later, these two Cougs are tying the knot—ready to celebrate the next chapter of their love story!