Tom and Juliana met at Holy Cross High School in 2017 and began dating that summer. Their favorite date in high school was having bagels and coffee before the beginning of the school day. In 2018 Juliana graduated from high school and went on to Springfield college for undergrad and PA school.

Even though Tom still had another year at Holy Cross, they made it work. Tom would go up to see her every weekend he could. As his senior year came to a close, Tom decided to attend the US Merchant Marine Academy down on Long Island, in the opposite direction of Juliana's college. To make it even harder, Tom could not leave campus until November of that year, and he was bald :/.

When Covid occurred Juliana and Tom were both home from college, but not allowed to see each other. This "strict lockdown" lasted about two weeks before Tom just so happened to make an extra coffee in the morning (he didn't drink coffee) and just had to drive it over to Juliana in a special to go mug. They would chat in the driveway, and sneak in a hug, over the singular coffee that he happened to make every single morning.

When they returned to college in the fall, they did not see each other until November and then Tom left on his first 4 month internship. Tom sailed on a grain ship going to Peru and back to Texas for 3 months. While he was out at sea Juliana would send him care packages with all the essentials including peanut butter, fruit snacks and about 50 gingerbread cookies (lovingly baked.... in January). He was able to come back home for 3 weeks to see Juliana. Although they did not have long together they would always make the most of it, going to their favorite restaurants (El Camion for the best tacos), going out with Juliana's friends up at Springfield and just spending as much time together as they could.

The following year Tom sailed for 6 months on a Navy Ship carrying ammo in the far east. Unfortunately, Tom missed Juliana’s graduation from undergrad in person, but watched it in the middle of the night out on the weather deck of his ship. Even though she couldn’t hear him, he was cheering her on as she walked across the stage.

When Tom came back from Sea he was getting ready to start his senior year, but had something on his mind from before he even left for sea the second time. He got together some money and went to buy Juliana an engagement ring. The 6 months he spent without her were some of the hardest, and he couldn’t dream of a life without her in it. Tom proposed to Juliana in Hoboken on August 27, 2022!

After they got engaged Tom went on to graduate from the Merchant Marine Academy in 2023 and now works for the Navy on the West Coast. Juliana is set to graduate from PA school in May of 2025, right after they get married.

J&T