Corey and I's story begins at Randolph-Macon where we both attended college. We had crossed paths now and then but were never really in the same circle.

Fast-forward to February 2018... Corey was playing and I was cheering at the ODAC basketball tournament in Salem, VA. The men's team had unfortunately lost in the first round of the tournament.

That night, I received a message from Corey on Instagram that said "Hey" with a smiley face emoji. (Very smooth...) I was with some cheer friends who insisted I responded because their team had just lost and we were feeling bad for them... This is when Corey and I began communicating regularly but didn't decide to make things official until May of that year.

My Junior year and Corey's Sophomore year were coming to an end and we were both headed back home for the summer. Throughout the summer we Facetimed almost every night for hours. We made trips to visit each other and met each other's families for the first time. We eagerly waited for our return to Randolph-Macon so that we wouldn't have to do long distance anymore.

When we returned to college, our relationship progressed as we spent so much time together. From studying in the library, breakfast at Estes (IYKYK), to going out on Thursday nights, we were together all of the time. I got to cheer for Corey as the basketball team went to the Sweet 16. That was my senior year and Corey was my biggest supporter as I finished my major, completed student teaching, and secured my first teaching job.

That summer (2019) Corey and I went back to long distance visiting each other as much as we could. I prepared for my first year of teaching and he prepared for his senior year of college. During the fall and winter, we saw each other almost every weekend because Randolph-Macon was not too far from the school I was teaching at.

That Spring, the pandemic started. I received a text from Corey saying that I wouldn't be able to go to his basketball game because they weren't allowing fans. They were set to play in the Sweet 16 of the Division 3 NCAA tournament. Soon it went from no fans to the tournament being canceled completely. Corey didn't get to finish his senior season and didn't have his college graduation. It was my first year teaching and had to learn of to navigate virtual teaching. Needless to say, there was a lot going on!

Despite all of the unknown, our relationship continued and even made the drive to see each other a bit easier because there was no traffic!

That summer (2020) Corey began his career with Enterprise and I went back to teaching in Virginia. Visits became less frequent with both of us working full time. Adjusting to "adult life" was difficult and it was hard to not see each other as much as we would like. This started the conversations of us moving in together. We knew that it was something we both wanted so why wait?

During the summer of 2021, we began apartment hunting in Maryland. We found the one we liked and moved in a week or so later. For weeks, we did Facebook Marketplace and IKEA runs to make our apartment feel like home.

It was our home for three years. We learned what it was like to live together. It was not always easy but it was worth it. During those three years, Corey and I both worked to progress in our careers and our relationship.

While living together we had many conversations about our future, which included marriage. I began, not so patiently, anticipating our engagement.

June 29th, 2024 we got engaged! Corey planned for us to have brunch in Baltimore. After brunch, we went out by the water to take some pictures. That's when Corey got down on one knee and popped the question. We celebrated with family and friends afterward. It was amazing and everything I had hoped it would be.

Not long after our engagement, we began working towards our next goal, purchasing a home. Because of the uncertain times with our economy, we were a bit nervous but found a home that we love. On October, 1st 2024 we closed on our first home. From furniture shopping to yard work, we got the true homeowner experience. We both truly love our home and can't wait for all the memories we will make as our story continues!