Zak and Rachel crossed paths at Wartburg College. Although they hadn’t officially met, Zak was one of the first people from Wartburg to follow Rachel on Instagram — because, as he later admitted, “he thought she was cute.” The two had mutual friends during their freshman year, but it wasn’t until May Term of 2021 that they finally had their first real conversation. Still, things didn’t spark right away — at least not until August of 2021, when Rachel added Zak on Snapchat. Zak didn’t waste any time and messaged her right away. They spent the rest of the month chatting while Zak was in Illinois, and once they were both back on campus in September, Zak asked Rachel out for coffee at Get Roasted. From that first coffee date, the rest was history!