Catherine and Ben met through OKCupid in the summer of 2013, while they were both working in New York City. Ben was teaching second-grade and completing his masters degree, and Catherine was a research assistant in K-12 Education policy at MDRC. In addition to their shared interest in education, they initially bonded over their mutual love of breakfast foods (especially bagels), and running regularly but not too quickly. As they began spending more time together, Ben introduced Catherine to stand-up comedy and NBA basketball. In return, Catherine helped Ben appreciate country music and has slowly turned him into an Atlanta Falcons fan.

In 2015, Catherine was deciding where to attend graduate school, and Ben agreed to move to Cambridge, MA with her. Shortly thereafter, they adopted their cat Cinder, who has become the center of their little family and the subject of 95% of their cell phone pictures and videos. Like many cohabitating millennial couples, Catherine and Ben’s conversations about marriage started long before the proposal. But Ben made things official during a morning hike in the Lake District of England. They are both excited to be taking this next step together and to have the opportunity to share it with friends and family.