meant to be McGehee!

Jake’s POV: Like many modern romances, our story begins on Instagram. During Pi Phi’s rush week, I kept noticing a pretty girl who was showing up in everyone’s posts. I clicked her tag, saw she worked at Kanakuk, the same summer camp I did, and instantly wanted to meet her. Her name was Ella Stanley. I begged my friend Emma, who was in Pi Phi, to introduce me. After days of annoying her, she finally found a chance to approach her at Chicken Finger Friday (an Arkansas essential), so we made a plan for her to ask Ella to Pike’s next morning's tailgate. Ella’s POV: Meanwhile, I had no idea any of this was happening until Emma and my friend Paige came up to me that Friday and told me a boy named Jacob McGehee wanted to take me on a date. I hesitated when they said he was a Pike, but then they mentioned he had worked at Kanakuk, too, so I agreed to go to the tailgate. Naturally, I then stalked his Instagram, told all my friends, and picked out my cutest game day outfit. The Day We Met: It was Saturday, September 10th, 2022. The Hogs were playing 23rd-ranked South Carolina, and Pike was throwing the best tailgate on campus. At the tailgate, we met and had our first 30-minute conversation that ended with Jake asking for Ella’s number before she left for the game. Two wins that day, one for the Hogs and one for Jake! After the game, Jake texted Ella to see if she wanted to hang out that night. Ella said yes, so we went on our first date to Sonic and Mount Sequoyah, and by the end, we both knew we wanted to see each other again. Every Day Since: A few days later, after thrifting outfits, spending lots of time talking and hanging out, Jake took Ella to his “Pikeadellic” function and told her that he wanted to pursue her. We made it official on October 7th, 2022, on Main Street in Bentonville. Then, 2 1/2 years later, Jake asked Ella to marry her on March 15th, 2025! Three years later, we have continued to grow closer to one another and are more in love now than ever before. Some of our favorite things include traveling, playing tennis, eating at Local Lime, baking cookies, going to coffee shops, and exploring NWA. We are thankful to have been by each other’s side through almost all of college and now as young adults. Jake is empathetic, hard-working, and loyal. He always makes me laugh, he is a steadfast source of encouragement, a great listener, and my best friend in this whole world. Ella has a wonderful heart, she is full of compassion, and loves to serve others above herself. She is caring, diligent, energetic, and someone I can always rely on. Most importantly, our relationship is marked by our faith in Jesus and our desire to serve each other through Him. Without the grace given to us through Christ, we wouldn't be who we are today. Encouraging each other in our personal relationships with God and in ministry has been our greatest joy. As we step into marriage, our prayer is that our relationship remains centered on Him.