Engagement Story:

Daisy, Charles and Mason all started their journey to the Great Smokey Mountains National Park on October 17th, 2024. They arrived to their camp ground late that night and settled in to have a long journey the next day! On October 18th, they went to hike the Gatlinburg Trail after visiting the Sugar Creek Visitor Center, where Daisy became a Bark Ranger! Woo! After hiking the trail they decided to travel to Clingman's Dome and hike up to the Observation tower! After a tiring and STEEP hike, they enjoyed the 360 degree view atop the 3rd largest mountain peek in the continental U.S. This is when Charles stopped Mason and asked her to marry him! She said yes! A very nice couple took their photo right afterwards.

They began their journey back to St. Louis and started making phone calls and sending pictures to share the excitement with their families!

Charles and Mason met on a fall evening at an ECO Miner meeting in Toomey Hall. Quickly they got to know each others interests, passions and hobbies. They bonded over a shared love of ecology, sustainability and the outdoors. Covid hit just 6 months after they met. They traveled back home until in person classes resumed in Rolla. After a long time of not seeing each other or talking at all, they spent a lot of late nights working on ECO Miner activities and what was later named, "the super duper eco miner guide" at the student library on campus. On March 7th, 2021 they went on their first date! A hike in Lane Springs recreational area, Daisy joined too of course. Just a month later on Earth Day, Charles asked Mason to be his girlfriend! She said yes!

Over the next 3 years Mason and Charles would continue their leadership roles in ECO Miners together. All while adventuring around Rolla both city and rural areas. Charles graduated from S&T and moved into his first house in St. Louis City! Mason stayed in Rolla to finish her schooling, not without many visits from Charles and Daisy!

Mason graduated from S&T in December 2023 and moved in with Charles and Daisy!

Throughout their time living together they have started many projects and finished a few! These projects range finishing their garage to redoing a bedroom in their house to small things like making clothes and crafting together. They've made new friends and reconnected with old ones. They adopted a cat together, named Cashmere. She's shy but loving once she warms up to you, of course not without drooling on you first.

Mason and Charles enjoy traveling around the U.S together and have visited the following National Parks so far:

Great Sand Dunes (Colorado)

Arches (Utah)

Olympic (Washington)

Badlands (South Dakota)

Indiana Dunes (Indiana)

Hot Springs (Arkansas)

Great Smoky Mountains (Tennessee & North Carolina)

Gateway Arch (Missouri)