Shawnika and Terence met in the summer of 2014 in Atlanta, GA on a party bus thrown by mutual friends, where they challenged each other to a pushup contest and learned that they were both applying to MBA programs for the next year. Terence offered to help Shawnika study for her graduate school test, but over time she realized that he was just using these opportunities to go on dates with her and disinvited him from studying (but kept going on the dates). Eventually they left for different business schools on opposite coasts, and spent every day talking and texting until they decided to become boyfriend and girlfriend in November 2015. With little to no income, they made a pledge to see each other every few weeks, filling the time in between visits with plenty of Skype dates and gifts. After graduation, they spent the summer together in Chapel Hill, NC, and then in the summer of 2017 they moved to Dallas, TX to begin their new careers.

On August 11, 2018, after Beyonce and Jay-Z’s On The Run II concert in Chicago, IL, Terence sat Shawnika down at a table at RPM Steakhouse to enjoy a plate of her favorite dish, mac and cheese. But before she got the chance to order, a video began playing on the restaurant TV showing her sister and best friends recreating scenes from some of Nika's favorite shows: Grey's Anatomy, Scandal, and How To Get Away With Murder. Once the video was done, Terence took the knee and asked Shawnika to spend the rest of her life with him, and she said yes. Just when things couldn't get any better, Shawnika and Terence's families appear to surprise Shawnika, with many tears and laughter to follow. Link to proposal video: https://youtu.be/V_hW1OqfDK4 Shawnika and Terence spent the rest of the evening with family and friends, celebrating the beginning of their union, and finally getting the chance to enjoy the mac and cheese.