Sometimes, the best things are right in front of you all along.

Jasmine and Terry met in graduate school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 2012 during the Summer Pre-Doctoral Institute. They still debate who struck up the first conversation, but one thing's for sure—they immediately connected over their shared love of reading, writing, and deep conversations about life.

Over the years, they crossed paths on campus from time to time, staying friendly and cheering each other on from afar. Terry served as a thoughtful reviewer for Jasmine’s writing (a role he happily continues today), and Jasmine helped him land his first on-campus job—a position that set him on the path to his current role (which she also coincidentally found).

Although they made a great team even back then, it wasn’t until June 2023—eleven years later—that their friendship blossomed into a romance after reconnecting at an alumni event. They couldn't deny that what started as a friendly catch up felt more like a date --and the rest is history as they say!

For the past 2 years, Jasmine and Terry have been building a beautiful life together, grounded in faith, family, and fun. They enjoy being active, cooking together, playing with Kash, traveling to see family, and doing renovation projects in the house. Jasmine admires Terry’s passion and his ability to see a project through (she’s learned to be careful what she casually mentions—because Terry will actually do it), while Terry appreciates Jasmine’s thoughtfulness and her eye for detail (yes, there is a formula for hanging a picture at the correct height). Now living in Arlington, Virginia, they continue to inspire each other to grow and thrive as they set their sights on new goals and creating more fond memories. They are so excited to start their forever and they can't wait to celebrate with all of you!

“Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever you had formed the earth and the world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.” Psalm 90:2