BENNETT-
I remember vividly the first time I saw Olivia. We were standing in line at Forest Springs, waiting to head into dinner. I glanced over and saw her - her long, beautiful, curly brown hair. I stepped forward slightly and caught a glimpse of her face, and it was just as beautiful. She instantly became my “camp crush”.


We spent the rest of that week exchanging shy glances across the dining hall and around camp, until her sister finally introduced us. I had no idea then that a single introduction would lead to over eight years of life, love, and growth with Olivia.


For the next three summers, I couldn’t wait to get back to camp, hoping she’d be there. I remember one summer in particular, I didn’t see her during orientation (she was arriving late due to a softball tournament) and felt crushed. But the next morning, she walked into breakfast, and I lit up inside. The butterflies I felt as a 16-year-old boy never really left. They’ve just grown deeper, steadier, and more meaningful with time.


The summer before my senior year of high school, Olivia made me sign a “contract” in her notebook, promising I’d return to work at camp the following year. We still weren’t dating, but our friendship was growing, and deep down, I already knew she was the one. That next summer, I got to spend two full months with her—something I had only dreamed of. She was silly, light-hearted, and full of joy. She was everything I could ever want in a friend. By mid-summer, it was clear: I needed to be with her. On July 7, 2020, I finally asked her to be my girlfriend. I had no idea then just how many seasons of life we’d walk through together.


From 2020 to 2025, we persevered through what seemed like endless long distance—something only God’s grace could have sustained. Marshfield to Appleton. Madison to Appleton. Madison to Milwaukee. Italy to Milwaukee. San Francisco to Milwaukee. And finally, after years of airports, FaceTime calls, and weekend visits, God opened a door for me to move to Milwaukee in March 2025.


Most of the moving geographically was mine. What never moved was Olivia’s steadfast love. She never once asked me to turn down an opportunity, even when it meant sacrifice for her. She encouraged me to study abroad, to take the internship in San Francisco, and to accept a job that took me back to California. Her selflessness during those years still amazes me. Through thousands of calls, flights, and moments of uncertainty, she never wavered. Her strength and unwavering support carried us through.
Olivia is everything I could ever hope for in a wife. She’s compassionate, funny, encouraging, godly, and grounding (although sometimes not on the golf course). She’s my biggest fan, my calm through lots of life's chaos, and the one who’s loved me through seasons when I didn’t even know how to love myself. She’s never stopped being the girl I fell for at 16.


“Soulmate” might sound like a cliché, but I truly believe God placed her in my life with purpose. His hand has been over our relationship from the very beginning, guiding us through every high and low. And now, having weathered so many storms together, I’m more confident than ever in our ability to face whatever lies ahead.


I’m endlessly grateful for the story we’ve written together and even more excited for the chapters still to come. I truly feel like the luckiest man in the world to get to call her my future wife.