Our story started at the same place where we will be saying "I do!"... on the campus of Xavier University.

We were both employees of O'Connor Sports Center as underclassmen. Then in the Spring semester of 2017 we had a weekly closing shift together, and Sam started asking Natalie for rides home at the end of the shift. It was a quick drive up to his dorm, and he would try to impress with a song on the aux.

Near the end of the semester we started seeing each other out socially talking more. Our first date was a weekend breakfast at The Echo in Hyde Park (still one of our favorite spots). Then soon after that Natalie had to leave to work at Camp Thunderbird in South Carolina all summer. Despite the distance for the next 3 months, Sam persisted and wrote letters and sent care packages to Natalie while she was away at camp.

Then in August of 2017, we were reunited in Cincinnati for school at XU again. We picked up right where we left off and started "officially" dating on August 13, 2017.

Natalie graduated in 2018 and landed her first nursing job in Cincinnati, and Sam then graduated in 2019 and started working as well. We settled into post- grad life with Sam getting to live with some of his best friends in Mount Lookout, and Natalie decided to go for her Masters online to become a Midwife. We enjoyed life in Cincinnati with many date nights together, spending time with our big friend group as well as cheering on all our favorite sports teams.

Then in 2023, we made the decision together to take a leap of faith and move to North Carolina where Natalie found a job as a Midwife. We moved in together and leaned on each other as we started a new life in Winston- Salem.

Finally, on March 31, 2024, on Easter Sunday, Sam proposed to Natalie! It was at the edge of the Ohio River right after mass at St Rose church, and both our families were there to celebrate with us!

N&S