Nate and Sunny’s story began at Eastern Illinois University in 2016 where they were introduced through mutual friends. From the beginning, their personalities were drawn to each other and despite starting as just friends, they quickly grew to realize they had many shared interests. They even had the same major, Exercise Science. For the next two years, they shared casual interactions like hanging out with their friends on the weekends and seeing each other in class throughout the week. Over time, they developed a strong friendship and naturally gravitated toward being each other’s dates for events like sorority formals and functions. During Nate and Sunny's senior year at EIU, things took a turn when they started to hang out one on one. They began to learn more about each other's dreams and values in life and realized they were what each other were looking for in a partner. Thanksgiving break of 2018, after a cold night of ice skating at Maggie Daley Park, Nate asked Sunny if she would be his girlfriend. She said yes, and the rest of their senior year was full of making memories together. After graduation in May of 2019, Sunny moved home to Morton and Nate moved home to Plainfield where they began their long distance relationship. Thankfully that didn't last long, as Sunny moved to Chicago in March of 2020 where she started a new job in the city. In her first apartment in Bucktown, Nate and Sunny enjoyed many nights cooking each other dinner, deepening their relationship, and learning what it takes to become cat parents. The next 4 years were filled with a lot of happiness, learning, and love. Growing closer to each other's families, living in different areas of the city, and taking trips both together and with friends are just some of the highlights. In September of 2024, Nate proposed to Sunny at Milton Park with the city's skyline behind them, signifying where they spent the last 5 years of their relationship and the memories that have brought them to this point. Afterward, they were joined by some of their closest friends and family to celebrate their engagement. A night they will never forget.