Alex and Kyla first connected in the fall of 2017 at the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities. Although they had crossed paths in high school, it wasn’t until they found themselves in the same animal behavior class that they truly got to know each other. For those who might not know, Kyla is not a fan of bugs. Unfortunately, the “animals” they were meant to study in this class were not cute and cuddly but crickets, cockroaches, and crabs. Kyla thought Alex would be her bug-busting partner, but it turned out he shared her aversion to these creatures. Their mutual fear of insects became the foundation of their bond, and together, they managed to navigate the course. They even chose each other as lab partners and completed a final project exploring how claw size affects aggression in fiddler crabs. They promise to spare everyone the details of their riveting research!

After Alex graduated in May 2018, he moved to Tallahassee with his parents while working on his medical school applications. During this time, Kyla was finishing her final year of college. When Alex received the wonderful news of his acceptance into medical school in Henderson, NV, they were thrilled to embark on this new chapter together. While Alex tackled the challenges of medical school, Kyla decided to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Nursing. Despite the difficulties and challenges, their relationship grew closer, and their support for each other helped them through some of the most challenging events of their lives so far. They now live and work in Houston, where Alex completes his residency in Pathology, and Kyla works as a cardiovascular ICU nurse. They cannot wait to embark on this next very exciting chapter in their lives!