Colin and Kaitlyn have known "of" each other for many years as their younger brothers played basketball together during the elementary years. Colin being a few years older always found Kaitlyn catching his eye and that was the case when their families took a vacation to Myrtle Beach in 2018. It wasn't until the fall of 2020, Colin's senior year at Morningside and Kaitlyn's freshman year at Iowa State that Colin decided to ask Kaitlyn on a date. A yes wasn't quite as easy of an answer to get as Colin thought it was going to be. After some encouragement from Kaitlyn's mother, Kaitlyn and Colin went on their first date at The Roadhouse in Orange City on New Years day in 2021. As Colin talked about his future aspirations and dreams on the farm Kaitlyn wasn't so sure those dreams aligned with hers. She thought it was going to be best to be just "friends". After Colin's constant pursuit of her, she finally agreed to become his girlfriend on February 20th, 2021.

The last few years of their relationship has been spent long distance as Kaitlyn has been studying architecture at Iowa State and Colin has been busy on the family farm. They don't get to spend many weekends together but when they do, they always make sure to make the most of it. Some of the many things they enjoy doing together include: attending Iowa State football & basketball games, exercising, cooking together, and attending weekend mass. After continual pursuit, Kaitlyn began to realize living close to family and getting to live the adventurous farm life with Colin would be better than she had imagined.

During Kaitlyn's spring semester of her fourth year, she studied abroad at Iowa State's College of Design in Rome. While Kaitlyn was spending time studying and making memories with friends, Colin was making big plans. Over her spring break, Colin and her family traveled to visit her with a little surprise in his luggage. Kaitlyn had planned a fun evening out at a rooftop restaurant in her neighborhood for the two of them to catch up. Before dinner, Kaitlyn took Colin to one of her favorite churches in Rome, the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere. The two spent time together in prayer and looking at the beauty of the Basilica's mosaics before exiting to go grab dinner. It wasn't until the two had just walked out that Colin got down on one knee. It was an easy yes from Kaitlyn and the two of them spent their dinner in the happiest tears. Upon arriving at Kaitlyn's apartment, her family and roommates greeted the couple with a celebratory party. The rest of their trip was spent enjoying time all together happily exploring the beautiful countryside in Tuscany, Rome's magnificant architecture, the shores of Cinque Terre, the art and culture of Florence, and the winding canals of Venice.