Fall 2014, Nick and Rachel met at the first animal care meeting of the school year during their undergraduate degrees at Olivet.

Over the next 3 years they worked together in the Animal Care group, took classes together, and spent time in each other’s company within the same friend/study group. After becoming the Animal Care leaders, they spent more time together to restructure the program and formed a solid bond. After working late into the night and walking back to her apartment alone, Nick would call Rachel to make sure she made it back to her room safely. These nightly calls developed into long conversations, until Nick (with a push from a friend) decided to risk the friendship and ask Rachel out to a dinner date. Soon after they decided to make the relationship official and began dating.

Rachel graduated a few months later and moved back to Ohio, leaving Nick in Illinois. Thus began the brief long-distance period of their relationship. While learning to spend time apart they also kept their bond strong by watching many shows and movies online together and writing letters in a book passed back and forth in the mail. Soon after Nick graduated in December, he made another brave decision and moved to Ohio to close the distance. While Rachel may have been unsure about him leaving his home, Nick was positive about their future and was ready to take the leap.

First, they lived in Columbus while Rachel worked at the Columbus Zoo. Then they moved up to Lakewood with Rachel’s family to save money and plan out the next steps of their future. They both decided grad school would be the best option forward and decided to attend Cleveland State University where they are still working to complete their degrees.

Throughout all of the uncertainties and life-changing events that can happen during a person’s 20s, Nick and Rachel have grown together keeping the bond they started to form the day they met. They are looking forward to getting married and supporting each other as they continue into the next chapter of their lives.

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