It all started in the fall of 2019 at Hastings College when Gracen first saw Kasey sitting on the front steps of a Halloween party. She immediately thought he was very cute and offered him a ride home, which he very awkwardly declined. For the rest of that year Gracen had the biggest crush on Kasey, which he very obviously knew and very obviously avoided. After several of Kasey’s teammates convinced Gracen that it would just never happen, she reluctantly moved on. They both went home, Gracen to Smith Center and Kasey to Lincoln, when COVID-19 shut down schools across the nation. They went their separate ways until the next Halloween of 2020 when Kasey saw Gracen dressed as an Oompa Loompa from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory and instantly fell in love. The two went on a date a couple of weeks later and officially became girlfriend and boyfriend in December. Since then the two have been by each others’ side through college sports, torn achilles tendons, 3 graduations, an engagement, an addition to their growing family(Archie, a loving and full of energy mini goldendoodle), new jobs, and the purchase of land to start building a home. They cannot be more excited to continue this next journey together.