Sierra graduated from nursing school in 2021 and moved to Silverdale, WA for her very first job as a nurse. Living right next to the shipyards in Bremerton and Poulsbo, Sierra's family and friends often teased her about the high likelihood of her marrying a sailor, to which she always responded with "no, when would I even meet a sailor" or "no, that is so cliche". Sierra quickly became friends with Lydia, who worked on the same unit in the hospital. As they grew closer over the next two years, she started to talk about a roommate that she and her husband had, a sailor from Texas named Shay. Shay was serving on a submarine and gone for months at a time, and the more Lydia mentioned him, the more Sierra's interest piqued. Finally, in June of 2023, Shay and Sierra met for the first time and there was an instant spark. Per military style, he made no delay in asking Sierra out for their first date, and soon after asked her to be his girlfriend. They continued to date while Shay navigated the final year of his naval enlistment, began new college courses, and started a new job. On September 19, 2025, Shay proposed to Sierra on a yacht in a private cove by Bainbridge Island, and Sierra said yes!