Jenna quickly noticed Jarred in the anatomy lab with his tall, dark, and handsome features, despite the masks, face shields, gloves and gowns that were required during the COVID-19 pandemic. Jarred kept his eyes on this cute girl who caught his attention, and she eventually introduced herself, looking to review all things related to the shoulder. He immediately knew there was something special about her. Jenna listened to Jarred as he and his new friend, Matt, discussed all of the muscle origins, insertions, innervations, and actions that we learned that day, and she knew these guys were smart so she quietly followed them around the lab, hoping to at least become study partners.

Before you knew it Jarred and Jenna were deep into biomechanics, clinical assessment, and neuroscience courses. Jenna strategically chose to sit near Jarred in lectures and they began staying after class to work on assignments and study with each other. This often led to hours of Jarred’s white board diagrams that ingrained in Jenna’s mind, complemented by Jenna’s silly mnemonics she made up to learn copious amounts of material that Jarred found surprisingly useful.

About a year into PT school, Jenna began tagging along with Jarred and Matt in all of their endeavors; and eventually she started inviting her new friend Anna along too. Things started out for the four of them with attending several University of Minnesota basketball games, as well as having board game and movie nights. Anna, Matt, and Jarred quickly realized Jenna needed a lot of help understanding the sports - but she always brought the energy and enthusiasm to cheer on the Gopher’s that Jarred loved and this encouraged him to want to spend more of his time with Jenna.

Jenna and Jarred were set on staying friends throughout school, despite others starting to ask about the depth of their relationship throughout the first two years. The last year of school they didn’t see much of each other, as they were out on clinical rotations, but text messages back and forth kept them in touch as they were on their own adventures learning to be PT’s. During this time Jarred and Jenna did reconnect on occasion, meeting up for church on the weekends, but it was not until the following summer that Jarred and Jenna really connected over their love for Jesus. They spent more time together than they ever had, embracing deeper conversations, learning more about each other and they made their relationship official after Jenna surprised Jarred with his favorite birthday tradition of attending the MN State Fair on August 26th.

Jarred and Jenna would spend every weekend together enjoying the lake, going to baseball games, spending time with friends, and going on their favorite date of getting bubble tea after church on Sundays. Even though Jarred was working over 60 hours per week as a physical therapy resident, he always made time to see Jenna, a true picture of love and commitment in her eyes. A little over one year later, they visited the new Twin Cities Orthopedics clinic Jarred was looking at working for, then visited the Millennium Garden and were both wowed by the beauty and peace they felt in it. Jarred did inevitably start working at TCO in Plymouth, and he convinced Jenna to apply to move to the Allina clinic in Plymouth, which she aced the interview for and started shortly after Jarred. On September 8th, 2024, Jarred set up a secret second date to revisit the Millennium Garden where he planned his proposal, and where they are now excited to marry one another and see all that God has planned for their lives together.