Banks and I met through Campus Outreach, a ministry we were both a part of at Clemson. We started out as the flirtiest best friends you have ever seen. Our common denominator was our competitiveness and love for Harry Potter, Mario Kart, Friends, and Marvel. Throughout our friendship we have competed (which never works out for me), and we have watched through each of those series. A lot of times it was our excuse to hangout. Looking back now, we say that we were always drawn to each other. After Spring Break my senior year, his sophomore year, we tried our 1st attempt at a relationship. It lasted for a week and ½ until we both realized we just were not ready. The Lord still had work to do. I tried not talking to him, but that lasted about 24 hours. We continued to hangout until he left for Greece, and I went to Leadership Project. Regardless to say it was a very confusing time. While volunteering for Campus Outreach for the summer, I decided I wasn’t going to talk to him so that I could focus on being a Team Leader and self growth. When Banks came back from Greece, we did not speak a word to each other. We didn’t know how to interact anymore without causing confusion and getting too close. I remember telling my partners, Lawrence and Brittainy that I was not going to talk to him even after project. As the Lord would have it, when I came back to Clemson and went to my first day back at work, guess who I had to train? You guessed it: Banks Burns. We then started hanging out almost everyday again, until one day we were hanging out in a group, and I decided to distance myself from him because of how close we had become… again. That night, he noticed and was concerned. This lead to him trying to figure out his feelings for me before talking to me and potentially ruining our friendship. But then, our “moment” happened. While I was dancing with friends, Banks came to the conclusion that he “knew” that he wanted to pursue a relationship with me. God’s timing was perfect.

The week leading up to August 22nd had me on my heels. Rain was in the forecast, and Kaylie and I were planning on going to Pretty Place to see the sunrise, followed by a trip to Asheville and the Biltmore House. Anyone who knows Kaylie understands that she hates waking up early more than anything in the world, so me, being a loving guy, forced her to get up at 4:15 AM (she needed time to pamper.) I still don’t think she has forgiven me. After picking up Kaylie at 5:20 AM, we began our hour long drive to Pretty Place. For some reason I had pictured in my mind that not many people were going to be there, and that we would have a quiet morning to ourselves. Thirty cars sitting in the parking lot quickly changed my mind. The time is now 6:45 AM, Kaylie and I are sitting in a pew watching the sunrise, and she decided she really wanted to take a selfie. I knowingly left the ring behind because I was still hoping to propose once people had left. To my horror, our photographer popped out getting ready for me to propose. Somehow Kaylie didn't notice. Since I left the ring, I needed an excuse to go up and come back. I begged Kaylie to let me take her rain jacket off and to our seat, but she just tossed it on the floor. We went back to sit down. That’s when I noticed a couple taking a timer picture on their phone. I told Kaylie maybe we should do that. Her response: “I like the pictures we have.” Finally, she agreed to take a timer picture. This time the ring was in my pocket. We take one timer pic. There’s too many people around us. We take another. We take a third picture. I chicken out. But on the fourth timer picture, I finally take her by the hand and get down on one knee asking her if she will marry me. Even though I made her wake up so early, she said YES and was completely surprised! The next few days were marked with celebration and now I can proudly say that Kaylie Danielle Holder is my beautiful fiance, and I cannot wait to marry my best friend on May 22nd, 2021!