Ben:

I went into college, not knowing anything about the world, dating, or even myself. I went in knowing this, at least. I was unsure if I would find friends, community, or a partner. But after meeting several of the one million pre-med students at Austin College, I was finding community and getting my bearings with classes. Naturally, conversing with the other guys I began to meet, conversation often went to the who, what, and when of the girls around us. I didn’t have a clue in the world what to say or what I wanted. Headed to a party one night, I was single, ready to mingle, and thinking that I could pretend not to be scared of women. I remember seeing Louisa, red-faced with a solo cup, and I thought she looked as beautiful as the sun. I fell for her there. I only thought I blew it a couple of times, but as we talked and made up reasons to see each other, I fell harder and harder. She became my person; as we both grew, changed, and faced obstacles, I only fell deeper in love with her.

The world is harsher outside of college, and I have been known to act without thinking. I took a job across the country, and asked her to continue to date me without a thought of how things might change as we did the long-distance thing. It was lonely. Without my family calling every Sunday, the friends carving out time for me from their beyond-busy schedules, and most of all her, I would’ve fled the state of Indiana completely broken down. She took flights for me, called me every night, and rescued me from the Houston airport in the dead of night.

When I decided to move back to Texas for a PhD program, the move was really to fully reconnect with her. With a concerted effort from both of us (though more from her), we were able to make it happen on the night of July 1st, 2023. After a much-needed vacation, we both jumped into our new positions and began the journey of living together. We debated about how to put knives in the dishwasher, where we would spend thanksgiving, and I realized I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her. One day, during a water change at school, I decided I couldn’t take it anymore and bought a ring way outside my monthly budget. I was conspicuous, nervous, and excited to propose. In January of 2025, my dream came true, and she said yes as I fumbled with the ring box.

I feel like my personal story has been one of slowly learning how to be a part of the world. I have made many, many mistakes, and it haunts me the number of times I almost fumbled the greatest thing to ever happen to me. To find someone who loves me, despite all my flaws and mistakes, and encourages me to grow has been the greatest blessing I could ask for. I truly feel like my personal and professional growth has just begun. Despite all the uncertainty in my field and in the world, spending my life with Louisa White is the only path forward I see for myself.

Louisa:

Some of you may already know this, but for those who don’t, the first time I saw Ben, I was sitting in my dorm room. It was orientation week at college, and all the lowly freshmen were stuck together with no friends and nothing to do. Naturally, SOMEONE was going to do something about it, and that’s when there was a knock at the door. It was not Ben. It was a crowd of girls who lived in my hallway. Their leader boldly came forward and announced that my room had the best viewing window down to where a group of guys were playing shirtless basketball. So, of course, I stepped aside and went to the window to join everyone. There were plenty of comments; I’ll spare you the details, but I was immediately drawn to the blonde one with glasses and abs. I resolved to go say hi if I ever saw him again.

Of course, you may have figured this out based on the above reading, but we met again at a party. It was dingy, and gross, and my first time drinking… juice, but as a freshly out of my parents’ household freed woman, I was convinced it was the time of my life. Looking back, it’s certainly a night I won’t forget. This is where I would make my first introduction and very demurely ask for Ben’s number. We had a long year of will they? Won’t they? But a week into summer, I decided to make it official, and we started dating.

We had three years of goofing off in college before we had to toughen up and face the real adult world and make some real adult decisions. We agreed to long distance, and suffered and survived through it before we both moved to Dallas together. It is during this time that I learned that Benjamin was and is someone I want to spend the rest of my life with. Being together for the good, bad, and the boring made me realize that he is both my best friend and the love of my life. And who better to end up married to? :)