Natalie -

Javy and I met when I started college in 2019. I joined the marching band at Illinois State University because of my passion for music. I became a part of the cymbal line in BRMM (The Big Red Marching Machine) and noticed Javy almost immediately. He was quiet and more reserved, but I liked him and wanted to get to know him more. We quickly became friends, and continued to spend a great deal of time together because of our busy band schedule. Although I was very fond of Javy, he did not feel the same way in return, so I left that Fall semester determined to focus on myself and to enjoy what college had to offer me.

Javy -

I was a sophomore in college in the Spring of 2020. During the Fall, I didn't see Natalie as more than a friend. Going out of my way to make friends is not something I do, so when Natalie and I were in Basketball Drumline three days a week, and in the same class the other two, we naturally started talking more. Those weeks we spent together led me to take more of a interest in her, but with the pandemic beginning in March of that year, I would not see her again until the following Fall semester. On January 12, 2021 Natalie had said yes to being my girlfriend. Four years later, on May 25, 2025 Natalie said yes to being my Fiancé, and on September 5, 2026, she will say yes (hopefully) to being my wife.