Valerie and Bryan met toward the end of 2018 as high school seniors at Monte Alto Early College. They first met in a combined class where Valerie was focused on her college work online, while Bryan was working on his own courses. One day, Valerie decided to reach out, texting Bryan, and Bryan replied back and that was the start of their journey. With late-night phone calls and endless text messages, their bond grew stronger, and they quickly became best friends.

Over time, they looked forward to seeing each other every day in class, talking, laughing and bonding over fast-typing games. As the days went on, Bryan and Valerie found any excuse to see each-other, like dropping off snacks to her house or she would go to her local Dollar General where he worked and she would randomly buy “something” . A few months later, he finally asked her out on a date to Starbucks. On May 26, 2019, Valerie invited Bryan to her cousin’s wedding as her plus-one. At the wedding, Bryan asked her to be his girlfriend, and she happily said yes. In June 2019, they graduated high school together and were both accepted into The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley. They cherished every moment together before college, knowing Bryan would soon leave for work in San Antonio. But before he left, he bought her a promise ring to symbolize his promise to stay loyal and committed.

During college, they spent nearly every day together, studying, going on dates, and spending time with each other’s families. Their shared college experience brought them even closer. Over the years, they traveled to many places together while managing their college life. In December 2022, both graduated from UTRGV with their bachelor’s degrees and in 2023, Bryan graduated again completing six months of training in Austin to become a State Trooper. Finally, on September 4, 2023, they celebrated his achievement with a Cruise to the Bahamas / Puerto Plata. In the middle of the sea, while watching Deep Water Horizon, Bryan nervously proposed to Valerie. She happily said yes!!

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