Though Madi and Jake were both attending Texas A&M University for college their paths would not cross until their junior year. He was a Psychology Major who enjoyed attending sports events and she was a Education Major in a sorority. One thing they had in common was a love for their school, so they both applied to an organization called ATC and were placed as counselors in camp Clemmons. What started as friendship soon blossomed into romance. One night while two-stepping and country line dancing at Hurricane Harry's a slow song came on and he asked her to dance. It was at this moment that they knew they were meant for each other. A few months later they officially began to date when Jake surprised Madi with a trip to visit her family for the fourth of July. He asked her to be his girlfriend and they had their first date and first kiss on Galveston beach under the stars. And the rest as they say is history!

The century tree is a symbol of eternal love at Texas A&M and holds a long history of proposals under its branches. As the story goes if you walk under the branches of the tree with someone you love you will spend forever together. But if you walk under the branches alone you are doomed to be alone forever. This tradition is taken very seriously at A&M and often you can see a solo bike rider not paying attention go tumbling off of their bike just to avoid riding underneath it alone.