Amanda and I’s paths crossed during our first semester of graduate school in November 2020. I was staying in town for Thanksgiving and extended an invite to the cohort offering to host everyone for the holiday. Amanda was first to reach out via text, during which we found out we lived in the same apartment building! Early on, we spent some time together studying for exams through the end of the semester. Although both of us were interested in each other, neither of us expressed it. At the end of the semester, she and I were the only ones left in town and we decided to go out for pizza. During dinner, Amanda was able to successfully talk my ear off for an entire two hours, which allowed us to get to know each other better. We spent more and more time together second semester hanging out as friends until January 30, 2021, when Amanda looked at me and asked, “So what are we doing, bro?” From there, our story began! Not only was I head over heels for Amanda, but so was my greyhound Jessie. When we weren’t studying, we enjoyed spending time exploring St. Augustine, going on various trips during breaks, and watching many movies and shows in our downtime. Upon graduation in April 2023, we decided to call Birmingham, Alabama home and started our professional careers. After saving up for an engagement ring and months of plotting, I finally proposed to Amanda at the Birmingham Botanical Gardens on December 16, 2023. Turns out, she wanted to marry me too! Amanda and I both agree that we act like a married couple already but are truly enjoying our “engaged era”! We are extremely excited to spend forever together and cannot wait to celebrate our wedding day with you on July 5, 2025!