College is a life-changing experience in various ways. You learn more about yourself, meet lifelong friends, and build the foundation for your future career. One thing I did not expect, but I'm forever grateful for, is meeting my future wife, Sarah. Little did I know my life would change forever when she approached me that one night. Every day that passed, I grew more confident that I had found my partner in crime, the love of my life. We would spend the rest of our time in college participating in fraternity/sorority events together, going on dates, and studying like madmen to complete our degrees. Once our schooling was over, I began working and Sarah and I still lived at our parent's homes which were very far apart. Even still, we both continued to work to build the life we knew we wanted to live together while at the same time always making sure we saw each other regularly. I then obtained my first apartment closer to work and her family which allowed us to see each other more often. Still, more work was to be done by both of us to further work towards buying our first home. During this time of living in my apartment, Sarah and I got engaged in July of 2023. This, of course, only further solidified the fact that we were committed, dedicated, and ready to pursue our future together as one. Now, we have moved into our new townhouse and cannot wait to celebrate our love for each other with our family and close friends in September 2025.

I met Julius in March of my junior year at Towson University. I had recently stepped into the role of "Social Chair" for my sorority—basically, I was the mastermind behind all our parties. The first event I organized was a social at one of the local bars, and I invited all my sisters to bring their dates and swing by my apartment before we headed out.

Amid the chaos of blasting music and people laughing, I caught a glimpse of Julius in my apartment. It was a quick glance, but I thought, "Huh, that’s a cute random guy in my apartment." And then, naturally, I went back to managing the madness. When we moved the party to the bar, I spotted him again. A bit of quick sleuthing confirmed that he was my sorority sister’s date... and just a friend. With that intel in hand, I made my move.

The rest, as they say, is history. We ended the night with Taco Bell (a classic), and Julius must've really liked me because, even after accidentally leaving our Taco Bell feast under the seat of his car, he still stuck around.

From that point on, we’ve been a team. While Julius pursued his master’s in occupational therapy, I took a few detours on my career path. Throughout it all, Julius has been my unwavering support—always patient as I found my way.

As we built our lives together, we became part of each other’s families, with annual 4th of July trips to Newport, Rhode Island, and countless home-cooked meals at the Rosales household in St. Mary's County.

Then, during our 2023 4th of July trip to Newport, Julius proposed at the Castle Hill Lighthouse—the very spot where my father proposed to my mother decades ago. It was a beautiful full-circle moment, and I’m so excited to continue this journey with him, as we now embark on the next chapter: marriage.