Like all good love stories, Michelle and Alex’s story began at an exosome workshop.

While Michelle spent the day listening to lectures and studiously taking notes, she met a post-bac researcher who also happened to work in Frederick, Maryland. The two became acquainted, and a few weeks later, Michelle received an invite to an Ugly Christmas Sweater Party. The invitation had also been spread to the entire post-bac community, including a guy named Alex…

Flash forward to the night of the party — an assortment of merry games and jovial banter was underway. Michelle had found herself leading a game for a group of party-goers. Never one to turn down a challenge, Alex joined in. While he didn’t find much luck in this game, he couldn’t stop playing. One by one, the other players were eliminated… until only Michelle and Alex remained. The two got to talking and immediately hit it off. Minutes turned to hours as the conversation wove through all their shared interests in music, science, and sports. As the night wrapped up, and with only 1% battery left on his phone, Alex managed to get Michelle’s number and asked her if she’d like to hang out again.

However, it would be some time before the couple had their first date... Alex traveled home to Illinois for Christmas and New Year’s, and Michelle had knee surgery on New Year’s Eve. While Michelle was healing up post-op, she and Alex talked and texted constantly. The two were unapologetically excited to see each other again! After weeks of anticipation (and some practice getting her surgically-repaired leg in and out of the car unassisted), Michelle and Alex set out for their first date. They chose Bruster’s Ice Cream for a drive-thru date night, so Michelle only had to get in and out of the car once.

The next few months were filled with movie nights and Netflix series as Michelle recovered from her surgery. Then, the Covid-19 pandemic hit, and they spent their time cooking, baking, playing Pandemic (the board game), and experiencing the Tiger King saga.

Alex got into a few graduate school programs and decided on Duke University, a 4.5 hour drive from Frederick, MD. Michelle and Alex spent the next 2.5 years schlepping up and down I-95 to see each other, battling the nightmarish DMV traffic about every other weekend. When they grew tired of the late night drives and long distance, Michelle took her talents to Durham and got a job at Duke! About a year later, Alex proposed where it all began — in Frederick, of course! He got down on one knee in Baker Park in front of the historic carillon. Now, Michelle and Alex are thrilled to see you at their wedding!!