In August of 2019, Payten transferred to Bowling Green State University from The Ohio State University at Marion to start her sophomore year of college and so she could join the Falcon Marching Band. Derek, who had already had his first full season in the Falcon Marching Band, was the newly appointed assistant drum major. Payten immediately noticed the loud, awkward, and cute drum major that also "dabbed" on the sidelines...a lot. However, Payten unfortunately learned that the cute drum major was already taken. For the rest of the year, Derek and Payten slowly started developing a friendship through mutual friends. At the beginning of the spring semester in 2020, Payten left Ohio to participate in the Disney College Program and Derek was working on his sophomore review to officially become a music education major. However, as you all know, March of 2020 changed our lives forever. Derek had to leave BGSU and Payten had to leave Florida to move back home until the next school year started. In May of 2020, the leadership list for the FMB was announced and there were three drum majors listed. Derek and Payten were two of the three. Once the 2020 marching band season started, Payten and Derek's friendship blossomed. They quickly became best friends and discovered that they had a lot in common. In September of 2020, Derek and Payten were both single and their friendship continued to grow. It was not until January of 2021 that Payten accepted an internship that was located in southern Utah. Payten's parents did not want her driving out to Utah alone, so she asked friends to make the drive with her. Derek was the amazing friend that agreed to go. Before Payten and Derek set out on their road trip, Payten's parents wanted to meet the young man that was going to help their daughter travel across the country. So the two of them met with Payten's parents, Chad and April, and her two youngest siblings, Thomas and Karlee, at Fricker's in Fremont, Ohio. It is safe to say that the dinner went well. It went so well that after Payten had dropped Derek off at his apartment, Payten's dad called her three times that day to tell her how much he liked Derek and asked when they were going to become a couple. Unfortunately, nothing was happening...yet. The day before Derek and Payten took off for Utah, Derek went over to Payten's apartment to help her pack and so they could talk. Derek finally admitted that he had feelings for Payten (Derek knew that Payten liked him for the past couple of months). After talking, they both agreed to stay friends and to not pursue a relationship until Payten got back from Utah. March 19th finally came and Payten and Derek crammed inside her Ford Focus with all of her stuff to head for Utah. To pass time in the car, they had many different conversations ranging from funny and light-hearted to serious and thoughtful. However, most of their time was spent singing obnoxiously into wireless karaoke microphones (they sang a lot of Phantom of the Opera and High School Musical). On the second night of their trip, they finally made it to Page, Arizona so they could do some sight-seeing the next day. The following morning, they set out to go see the Grand Canyon, after learning that the entrances were closed, they turned around, headed back to Page, and Derek decided to go check out something called Horseshoe Bend. Once they hiked to the viewing area, they found a place to sit and Derek got out his phone and started making a list of things to do once Payten was finally back home. The first few items on that list were to; teach Payten how to swim, climb a tree, and get a wagon (all three of these are inside jokes and none have been accomplished yet). However, many many other things to do have been added to that list (and since then checked off) since Derek decided not to wait and asked Payten to be his girlfriend on March 22nd, 2021. Obviously, Payten said yes and for Derek's sake, he needed to be sure. Derek said "just to clarify, we are dating, right?" Payten laughed and said yes, again. Fast-forward through trips to Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Lake Powell, Dallas, Walt Disney World, New York City, and Nashville, participating in their last marching band season, and raising a cat and puppy together, Derek and Payten were set to graduate from college on April 30th, 2022. Little did Payten know that Derek had something else in mind for that day, as well. After Derek's graduation ceremony at 2pm, he said he wanted to take pictures in the Doyt Perry Football Stadium. Payten thought that it was a little odd but did not give it much thought since the stadium played a significant role in their lives. After Derek took pictures with his family, they walked away and Derek grabbed Payten and walked her in a different direction. Payten, made a sassy comment saying, "oh do I need to take off my Apple Watch and move my promise ring to my right hand?" Derek held Payten's hands and explained how he does not want to spend his life without her. Derek then got down on one knee and that was the start to their new beginning.