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Adams State University SID Will McLaughlin walked into the office of new Women’s Lacrosse Coach Monica Plut hoping to ask her out on a date. Will was known for his relentless “Never Give Up” attitude & it paid off. How it Happened • The 1st date, 1/25/19, between Will & Monica was interesting to say the least. They talked about politics, religion, race, & anything no one talks about on a 1st date. • The 2 continued to go out over the next month & things went well. They continued to have deep talks until Will finally asked Monica to be his girlfriend. He asked on March 1 & Monica’s answer was the now legendary “I Guess”. He asked on the oversight spot of La Manga Pass in Colorado & it was a site to behold. • Things were going well until Will was offered a job in Washington. • The couple were definitely at a crossroads because their relationship was going well, they had even said I love you, & now they were faced with the decision of long distance or going their separate ways. • The duo decided to do long distance dating & made it a priority to see each other every 5-6 weeks. • As the couple’s relationship progressed, they went on fun adventure dates as Monica began showing Will the fun of wine tasting & great food. • As time went on, they went back to New Mexico to visit the McLaughlin clan for Thanksgiving. Ironically enough, on Black Friday the couple went shopping & stopped by a jewelry store in the mall. While browsing, they found the ring that Monica fell in love with. Will had not even thought of a proposal date, let alone had gotten permission from her parents, but they had a ring at least. • The following month the 2 went out to ATL to meet her parents for the holidays. Will also had the hopes gaining Monica’s parents’ approval to marry her. As the days passed, Will mustered the strength & was able to get the approval of both parents to marry Monica. The couple enjoyed their vacation & went into the New Year excited for things to come.

• Monica had accepted a new job starting a Lacrosse program at Eastern Oregon University. It was a thrilling new chapter to her life & she got to be closer to Will. Following the vacation in the South, Monica immediately packed up & left Colorado for the Pacific Northwest. • Shortly after her move, something put a big wrench in things… COVID. The US shutdown essentially & people had to work from home. It was rough, but a big plus was they got to spend everyday together from then until now. As luck would have it, the same job that Will did at his school in Washington came open at EOU. • In the process of applying for the EOU job, Will & Monica had an eventful summer of 2020. They went on multiple camping trips & adopted another kitten (Ronald, who Meghan used to hate but now slightly tolerates). He joined the family in early June, but that was not the only surprise. • Later in the month, Will finally FINALLY proposed to Monica. He did it at the top of a hill overlooking La Grande & in typical Monica fashion, she said “I Guess”. There was more crying involved but nonetheless the couple was ready to spend the rest of their lives together. Fast forward to late August & Will got the job at EOU. He & Monica moved in together & shortly after they bought a house in Oct. Fate had played out well for the 2 & they have spent each day together ever since. No relationship is perfect but they’ve worked each day to be better for themselves, each other, & of course the kittens. • Although this written story has come to an end, the life Will & Monica have together has only just begun. By the Numbers 2 - They have 2 kittens, Meghan & Ronald 4 - 4 chickens AKA The Ladies 1 - Rounding out the farm for the duo, is 2 beta fish, Stewart 2 - The two have now worked together at 2 different universities Up Next • Following the wedding, the couple will head to Banff, Alberta, Canada for their two-week honeymoon. After the honeymoon, they will begin a new chapter of their lives together.