Our friendship was established during our sophomore year at Wilson Central High School. Alex distinguished himself on the football field, while Hannah represented the school—and the state—on the Tennessee High School Rodeo Association circuit and as an active member of the FFA.

By their freshman year of college, Alex was competing on the football field at Furman University, while Hannah had begun her studies at the University of Mississippi. Busy with their respective commitments, they naturally drifted out of touch for a time.

In the fall of their junior year, Alex—now a Business Information Technology major at Tennessee Tech University—reached out to Hannah, who remained immersed in Integrated Marketing Communications at Ole Miss. He asked if he could visit her in Oxford for the Ole Miss–LSU game. The weekend reunion revived their high‑school bond, and by October, that renewed connection had evolved into something more than friendship.

Throughout 2023 and 2024, the two made a habit of turning major events into shared adventures—most memorably traveling to Atlanta for the Peach Bowl to watch Ole Miss face Penn State—strengthening their connection with each new destination.

During their junior and senior years, Interstate 40 became a well‑worn path. The five‑hour drive between Cookeville and Oxford grew almost second nature as they routinely logged the miles, intent on carving out every possible moment together.

For spring break of their junior year, the pair headed to Gatlinburg, Tennessee—trekking the scenic trails of the Great Smoky Mountains by day and discovering the charm of downtown Gatlinburg by night.

They also laced up for a 5K in Pass Christian, Mississippi—adding yet another shared milestone to their growing list of adventures.

Senior year brought a memorable string of “lasts.” When Furman—Alex’s former team—opened its season against Ole Miss, they found themselves cheering on both programs that had shaped their story. Meanwhile, the realities of post‑graduation life set in: résumés went out, interviews multiplied, and pivotal career decisions moved to the forefront.

On April 11, 2025, Alex chose Oxford’s picturesque Castle Hill as the setting to ask Hannah to marry him. The intimate proposal marked the official beginning of their life together.

Their path took another turn when Alex accepted a systems‑engineering co‑op with Packaging Corporation of America in Counce, Tennessee, while Hannah stepped into a full‑time marketing role at Tombigbee Electric Power Association in Tupelo, Mississippi. They have moved to Iuka, Mississippi, with their two pups, Winnie and Roux, to live close to Pickwick Lake.

As they turn the page to their next chapter, Alex and Hannah eagerly anticipate becoming one in the eyes of the Lord when they exchange vows in September 2026 in Brentwood, Tennessee.