After joining the Young, Black & Christian Facebook group Kelli and Alex connected in April 2023. Alex made a post that caught Kelli's eye. After "shooting her shot" and expressing interest in Alex, they began messaging each other daily. Despite living 2,600 miles away from each other, Alex and Kelli talked daily - getting to know each other and finding that they had many similarities. Alex visited San Diego that August and made things official! While dating, Kelli and Alex connected over virtual dates like watching horror movies, lego building and painting. They made time to see each other with hometown visits to San Diego and Austell, and traveling to new places like The Pacific Northwest and New England. Alex proposed Memorial Day 2024 at Sunset Cliffs in San Diego - the same place they'd watched the sunset together on the day they became a couple. The soon-to-be Troutmans are looking forward to the making a lifelong covenant before friends, family and God November 8, 2025.