Selina grew up in Xinxiang, China, where she spent her early school years before moving with her family to Portland at age fourteen. Starting her freshman year at Portland’s Lincoln High School, she began building a new life in a new language — learning English as she went, studying hard, and working in a lab after school. Selina went on to Oregon State University, where she deepened her interests in science and medicine and studied abroad in South Africa. After graduating from medical school at OHSU, she moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to begin her internal medicine residency. Soon after arriving — and while living away from her family for the first time — the COVID-19 pandemic hit. In the sink-or-swim environment of an intensive care unit, Selina learned to care for some of New Mexico’s most vulnerable patients. She quickly grew into the confident, skilled, and steady provider she is today. After residency, Selina returned home to Portland for a hematology and oncology fellowship at OHSU. Although she had the option of pursuing a promising career in academic medicine, Selina followed where her heart led her: caring for patients. In 2024, she joined the Portland VA as an attending physician, where she now provides compassionate oncological care for America’s veterans.

Alex grew up in Oregon with his parents and brother, with parts of his life also rooted in Minnesota. For years, his path was shaped by classical music. An unapologetic band geek in high school, he went to St. Olaf College to study music performance, specializing in classical and orchestral percussion and new music. Music taught Alex discipline, patience, collaboration, and the love of craft — the slow, grinding work of making something difficult become compelling and alive. Over time, his interests shifted toward people, writing, and problem-solving. He stayed in Minnesota and followed his father and grandfather into law. Yet music remained part of his life. During law school, he paid rent in perhaps the most Alex way possible — playing vibraphone and drums at Psycho Suzi’s, a tiki restaurant in Minneapolis. Alex went on to clerk for judges in Oregon and Georgia. While clerking, he learned to thoughtfully approach difficult problems, respect the complex humanity behind them, and seek clarity through our beautifully flawed American justice system. He later joined Stoel Rives, a law firm in Portland, where he handles complex business disputes and is grateful to work with some of the most admired and respected colleagues he has ever had.

Alex and Selina met in January 2024 at Ovation on the OHSU South Waterfront. Their first conversations came easily: medicine and law, China and Oregon, family and work, purpose and the future. From the very beginning, they were deeply curious about each other’s lives, passions, and the paths that had brought them there. Many of their early dates were walks. More than once, after reaching the end of a long walk, they were not ready for the conversation to end — so they turned around and took the same walk again. These have become some of their favorite memories: walking side by side, talking easily, and feeling more certain with each step. Ever since, their relationship has grown through simple things: walks, meals, cozy evenings, family time, language learning, and a deep interest in each other’s worlds. In each other, they have found not just love, but partnership: the feeling of being on the same team, with shared purpose and a shared future. As they marry, Alex and Selina are grateful for the people who have been part of their separate paths before those paths met. They look forward to celebrating with the family and friends who have walked with them, shaped them, and will continue with them into the road ahead.