I first met Nick in undergrad at Clarke University in 2016. I was already a chemistry tutor at that time, and my chemistry professor (Tony Breitbach- who will be officiating our wedding) hired Nick as the incoming tutor. I remember when we first met we met, initially being surprised by how attractive the new chemistry tutor was. I quickly became attracted to his kindness, patience, intelligence, and humbleness. We soon became friends and got to know each other over 2 years until I graduated in 2018. We occasionally checked in with each other over the years, but life was busy and it often felt like the right person, wrong time. It wasn't until 2021 when we decided to catch up in person. Little did we know that was going to be the first of many coffee dates. We picked up exactly where we left off and suddenly it became right person, right time. In June 2024, we moved to Homer, AK and along the way, Nick proposed to me at Banff National Park.

I met Jess at Clarke University my freshman year. We were chemistry tutors together, and I still clearly remember the first time she caught my eye. I walked into the room for the group study and was captivated by her intelligence, patience, kindness, and of course her pretty hair and smile. I was too nervous to talk to her much during our first semester tutoring together (she was a pretty upperclassman, of course I was nervous!), but we grew closer my sophomore year. We still tutored together, but we also shared a class together, and started to study together outside of class. She even gave me a couple of rides to her house (the halfway point on my way home when I didn't have a car) when going home for the holidays! Ultimately, she graduated at the end of that year, and I thought the last time I would ever see her was giving her a hug in the school parking lot while I was drenched in sweat from emptying my dorm into my car on a 90+ degree day; what a great way to remember someone. Thankfully she actually kept in contact with me! At least sparingly over the next two years. We would talk over text for a day or so at a time, then the conversation would stop for a couple of months. However, one time she had the guts to say she was interested in me, which led to a couple dates, then a relationship through our graduate schooling, and now I'm stuck running home at lunch to let her dog out to potty in Alaska. Life's crazy, right person, wrong time, until 5 years later it wasn't the wrong time.