Our love story started in high school at Kenowa Hills High School; Emily was a freshman and Mitchell was a junior. We met through indoor track, and hit it off almost immediately! We have been in love and basically inseparable since then!

We spent a lot of time together with a mutual friend group in high school, Young Life events, track, and all the dances. Emily even had a surprise senior prom for Mitchell when he wasn't able to go to the school prom. We always wanted to do everything together no matter what!

Mitchell participated in shot put and discus, and Emily did the running events. We were happy to spend time together at track meets outside of school and celebrate each other's successes!

Mitchell graduated in 2017, while Emily was a sophomore. He went off to Michigan State University to study a major in Physiology with a minor in Health Promotion. This was the start of our long distance relationship that lasted for 6 years! This was the hardest challenge for us, as Emily was still in high school an hour away!

Flash forward to 2019, when Emily graduated from high school! We were still making long distance work, and continued to make it work as she chose to go to Grand Valley State University for Hospitality and Tourism Management! Even though we were going to different universities, nothing could break the relationship we had built!

We were always intentional about seeing each other as much as possible during our long distance relationship. We had unforgettable experiences with each other and always were thankful for the time we were able to spend together. We always had a great time cheering on our favorite team- Go Green!

When the pandemic struck in 2020, we moved back to Grand Rapids from our respective colleges. During this time, our “long-distance” status was on hold and we spent nearly every day with one another. This opportunity strengthened our relationship and this solidified the idea of spending the rest of our lives together!

Mitchell graduated from Michigan State University, and got accepted into PA School shortly after at Eastern Michigan University. This was another two years of distance added onto our relationship (but so worth it)! This made it so that we both graduated in 2023 with degrees to pursue our dream careers!

After over 6 years of dating and growing a strong relationship, Mitchell proposed to Emily and it was the easiest yes she ever said!

Since we have been together, we have always kept Christ at the center of our relationship. We have continued to attend our young adult small group, and attend Christian conferences and church together. We have the most loving & compassionate mentors through our church that keep us connected with other believers and help keep our faith strong. We cannot thank our families, friends, and mentors enough for their support, love, and dedication to keep us rooted in Christ as a couple!

We are continuing to plan our wedding & can't wait to celebrate with our loved ones on our special day!