They met in high school. He went off to college a year later. They lived apart for 2 years while at different colleges until Seren moved to Norman, Oklahoma to live with Matthew. They lived there together for three years and the remainder of his time at the University of Oklahoma. Matthew commissioned into the United States Navy on May 11, 2018 in front of family and friends. Immediately after the ceremony, he proposed to Seren on the campus grounds. A few weeks after they made their way across the country to live in Everett, Washington at Matthew's first duty station.