Our story began freshman year at Texas A&M in the beloved Callaway House. We were friends from the very start. Rachel even asked me to be her date to her very first Chi Omega date party. Things took a turn when she invited me to play golf with her dad during Songfest weekend, little did I know where that would lead. We spent much of freshman year together, between my friends and I turning her dorm into a poker lounge or me doing her MATH 140 homework. Sophomore year, our friendship continued. I moved into a house in the historic district while Rachel moved into the Chi Omega house. That fall, I asked her to the Aggie Men’s Club formal, and it was then that I realized how much I loved spending time with her and decided that I should do something about it. However, one of Rachel’s friends informed me that I didn’t have the slightest chance, so I decided to leave things as they were. Junior year, Rachel moved into a house just a block away from mine, and we spent even more time together. By spring, I realized I definitely had feelings for her and needed to do something about it. I asked her on a date, and she said yes. For our first date, we went to Champion Firearms in College Station and shot pistols. I had a great time though in hindsight, it probably wasn’t the best idea. When it came time for a second date, Rachel kindly told me we were better off as friends. That part wasn’t as fun. That summer, I went off to Alaska and completely wrote off any hope of being more than friends with Rachel. But much to my surprise early senior year a moped accident that landed Collin in the ER had Rachel and I spending 8 hours together and the next day she asked me to go on a walk. During that walk, she told me that I was right and she was wrong and that we should go on more dates. Just two weeks and two dates later, we officially started dating. We spent the last six months of our senior year at A&M together, soaking up everything the school and that season of life had to offer. After graduation, Rachel moved back to Dallas, and I headed to Alaska for one final summer of fishing. For more than three months, we were 3,000 miles apart, connected only by nightly FaceTime calls. During that time, I realized just how much I hated being apart from her and that I needed to put a ring on her finger as soon as I got back. Long distance continued when I returned to College Station to finish school while Rachel was working in Dallas. Nearly every weekend, I drove to Dallas or she came to College Station. During the weekdays when we were apart, I snuck to Dallas to ask Dennis for his blessing, designed and ordered her engagement ring, and planned the proposal and celebration. Less than a year after we started dating, I proposed on November 9, 2025. Through my time knowing Rachel, I’ve come to know someone who reflects Christ so beautifully. She loves others better than anyone I know and is, in turn, deeply loved by all. She encourages me, challenges me, and has helped me become a better man of Christ. I am overjoyed to say that I get to marry my best friend, and we cannot wait to spend the rest of our lives together!