Growing up in Batesville, MS Luke had always grown up a Mississippi State fan. As his mother, Karen Champion, is an alumnus! So it was no surprise when Luke left home, and started his collegiate journey to State in 2019.

Surprisingly to everyone - having never once even been to Mississippi in her life - Faith decided to embark on her own one of a kind journey to start life and college at Mississippi State in 2018.

As Faith was a sophomore at State, Luke was a freshman. During a party at one of Faith's friend's houses, as they were standing outside around a bonfire, the next door neighbors walked up and introduced themselves. The next door neighbor happened to be LJ Mills (best man) and his roommates at the time. From then on the group clicked, and created the best network of friends. However, Luke was still a freshman living in the dorms at the time, so Faith and Luke had not been introduced yet!

As Luke became a sophomore, he was able to move out of the dorms, and got a house the next year with LJ and friends. This is where Luke and Faith first originally met. Although they did not immediately start dating, they definitely noticed each other.

It wasn't until Faith's junior year of college when they started dating. Going to every Mississippi State football game, tailgating in the junction from dusk till dawn, standing in left field lounge watching the bulldogs win baseball games (more so in the year 2021), and spending time with friends. These were their favorite things to do together.

In April of 2024, Luke got down on a knee and popped the question here in Starkville, right where they found each other. As Faith has now began the first year of her Ph.D. in microbiology at State, Luke is defending his Master's thesis at the end of May in cotton agronomy, and also plans to stay for his Ph.D.! Mississippi State has provided both Luke and Faith with amazing academic and professional opportunities, but greatest of all, it gave them each other, and friends that feel like family.

Dodson Farm