Val and Sean met in September of 2019 at Penn State University, where they both attended college. They were both seniors at the time; with Val pursuing a degree in nursing and Sean pursuing a degree in risk management.

As part of Penn State's nursing program, Val was completing clinical at Hershey Medical Center that year. Often times, she would commute back to main campus to attend the football games for the weekend. It just so happened that one weekend, she ran into Sean at "Doggie's Pub." They had mutual friends and as everyone was mingling, Sean walked up to Val with his best pick up line yet "Are you Val?" To this day, they still laugh about that.

From then on, Sean would visit Val at Hershey and vice versa. Following graduation, Sean had accepted a job in DC at Deloitte and Val had accepted a job at UPMC Magee Women's Hospital. Although they were four hours away, they continued long distance, visiting each other when possible. Then, in the summer of 2021, Sean decided to move back to Pittsburgh. Although DC provided great opportunities, he knew that he had a passion for wealth management and decided to take a job at Confluence Financial Partners, where he has worked ever since.

As their relationship progressed, they decided to move in together in the summer of 2022. Not even a day later, they got their puppy Milo. Although it was a learning experience - moving in together and raising a puppy, it definitely made their relationship stronger.

Then, on May 11, 2023 (Val's 25th Birthday), Sean proposed on Mt. Washington. He was so nervous that instead of asking her to marry him, he asked if she would "be his travel buddy for life." Without hesitation, Val said yes!

As our story continues, we are so excited to make memories with our friends & family. We are truly grateful for our loved ones, especially our parents who helped us get where we are today. We know that our journey has just begun, but we are confident that we will build an amazing life together.

Timeline of Events