It’s been a long time coming, but we are finally getting married! Our relationship, while never really traditional, has been strong and steadfast through the past nine years. From high school date nights to sorority formals, graduate school applications, and a seven hour move from home, I’m excited to recap our story as we prepare for this new section of our lives together. Next chapter ;)

We’re often asked how we met, and the short answer is “Quiz Bowl”. While this is true, there’s more to it. The entire reason I was even on the team is because my mom was the quiz bowl coach. It was October 2014 and I was a senior, ready to wrap up high school and move to Oxford. Levi joined quiz bowl during his sophomore year, strong-armed by a mutual friend to show up to “try-outs”, but was secretly eager to show off all of his trivia knowledge. The first time we spoke was on the bus ride home after Levi’s first quiz bowl match in which he completely wiped the floor with everyone (I know how to ball, he knows Aristotle) and I was impressed. We became friends instantly and spoke almost everyday after that. In March 2015, we officially started dating, and most of our date nights included driving around town, eating Taco Bell, watching movies, and sharing songs together. That summer flew by as we became more and more aware of my upcoming move to Mississippi. My mom was very opposed to me going to college with a high school boyfriend and actually made us “break up” (newsflash-we didn’t). We actually dated in secret for my first semester of college (sorry, Mom). For the next two years, we dated long-distance, making efforts to see each other at least once a month. We agreed to let each other enjoy the chapters of life we were in, even though they didn’t always overlap. For example, I went to my sorority’s date parties and Levi went to homecomings and proms – each with friends. Trust has always been the basis of our relationship, and the first two years built that strong foundation. Thankfully, in 2017, Levi graduated high school and joined me at Ole Miss.

A comment from Levi: “Dear Reader, I know you’re wondering, did I go to Ole Miss simply for her? No.” So anyway, we were both in Oxford⸺during the Matt Luke years nonetheless⸺ and together, we couldn’t be happier! I was in leadership in my sorority, so Levi graciously stood with me at the entrances or by the bathrooms of many, many social events. Our weekdays were full of classes, homework, projects, and papers, while on the weekends, we could often be found at an Ole Miss sporting event. Tailgating itself counted as a sport for us. My parents had a tent nearly every home game during my college career, and right there where it stood holds some of our favorite wins and most upsetting losses. We took our academics very seriously, both of us finishing every semester on the Chancellor’s honor roll. Once again, we found ourselves as a senior and sophomore, and I had some decisions to make. It’s no secret that I love Ole Miss; and a degree in Psychology, while respectable, is not necessarily employable. I began researching graduate programs, and I was drawn to the clinical mental health program housed right at home in The University’s School of Education. After tedious GRE study sessions, several heart-to-hearts, a completed application, and an interview, I was accepted to stay in Oxford and pursue my Master’s. My undergraduate graduation came and went (with a few chicken strip boxes, iykyk), and I was thrilled to start my next chapter, still in Oxford, with Levi by my side.

Dear Reader, I know you’re wondering, did I stay at Ole Miss simply for him? No. Besides, it ended up being the best decision because a worldwide pandemic loomed in the near future. In the fall of 2019, I started graduate school along with an assistantship, while Levi continued to grind on his engineering degree. We also moved into an apartment together with our dear friend and current groomsman Christian. The fall was full of football, evenings at Funky’s, and adjusting to our new routine. The winter and early spring buzzed with excitement as Levi started to work on one of his major projects and I began counseling roleplays. However, midway through spring break 2020, we received news that we were not going to return to any in-person classes. We were quarantined with each other for the foreseeable future, and the more I think about it now, the less I know. We returned to most classes in fall 2020; however, the pandemic left lasting impacts. Most places Levi would have applied to after graduation were on a hiring freeze, so it became evident that graduate school would be the best option for him. But where? Levi wanted to go elsewhere for graduate school, so we made a list of places together that we would be willing to live. In spring 2021, he got the news that he was accepted to Auburn University with a Presidential fellowship, and quite honestly, that made the decision for us. He packed up our apartment while I finished my counseling hours, and we moved to Alabama!

Leaving Oxford was hard. Being seven hours away from our families in Missouri was even harder. For the first time in our whole relationship, we were by ourselves in a new place. Luckily, we had each other to get us through the tough moments. The first year was an adjustment. Levi had difficult classes, I had my first “big girl job”, and we realized that living in a town that celebrates a team neither of us care for isn’t always fun (especially when they beat Ole Miss). During this first year, we also made some great friends, met supportive and loving coworkers and classmates, and created a community that made Auburn feel like home. We watched it begin again. It’s been three years since moving to Auburn, and these have been some of the biggest years of our lives! Levi finished his classes (a semester early!) and has won several more fellowships. He completed his Prelim in summer 2023 and is now an official Ph.D. Candidate, and he will start work on his dissertation shortly after our wedding. I worked as a school-based therapist while earning my licensure hours, and officially became an LPC in January 2024. I’m now the school-based mental health supervisor. I guess you could say that we were able to come up for air after working so hard on our careers, and saw that the time was finally right to make this nine-year adventure official!

As you can see, we’ve been through a lot together over these past nine years. We’ve been dedicated to each other for a long time, and I’m grateful for the kindness, trust, and strength we have demonstrated to each other through it all. We’re all about each other. It’s crazy to think that the two kids talking on the bus have stayed together this whole time and are tying the knot. We truly are each other’s best friends.