Ava and Aiden met in April of 2023. It was Aiden’s senior year and Ava’s freshman year at Toccoa Falls College. Through mutual friends, Ava and Aiden knew of each other the whole school year but never officially met.

Through Ava’s roommate, who had several classes with Aiden, he learned that she had a similar theological background as he did growing up.

After attending the same college bible study, they realized they shared the same passion for tennis, which both Ava and Aiden played throughout high school.

After that Ava and Aiden started hanging out together, playing tennis, hiking and going to TFC social events together.

Aiden asked Ava to the TFC Junior-Senior formal, which was their first date on April 29th, 2023. After that, they started spending more time together as the school year came to a close.

On May 11th, 2023, Aiden asked Ava to be his girlfriend on Lake Toccoa in Toccoa, Georgia.

After Aiden’s graduation on May 12th, he headed out west to Colorado to work at a Christ-centered family camp for the summer, meaning 3 months of long distance. Since Colorado was 1500 miles from Ava’s hometown and both were actively working all summer, they didn’t see each other until late that August.

After many phone calls, letters and gifts sent back and forth, Aiden moved to Georgia to be closer to Ava and work at Shepard’s Hill Academy while Ava was in school.

For the next 10 months they spent time exploring Georgia and traveling to visit family.

One month after their one year anniversary Aiden proposed to Ava on June 13th, 2024 at Lake Toccoa, which is where he originally asked her to be his girlfriend!