Courtney and Roy met in college at Loyola Marymount University. Their first-time meeting was a bit awkward. After class, Roy walked over to Courtney's desk to tell her the project she was working on looked "really cool.” At the same time, she was in the middle of packing up and happened to quickly close her laptop—which Roy took as a sign that she had no interest in talking to him. It wasn't until a dinner with friends that they realized how much they had in common. They both were born and raised on Oahu. Roy had gone to Iolani, while Courtney went to Punahou. Ironically, they happened to have quite a few mutual friends, but never met. Both of them can agree they probably wouldn't have been interested in each other if they'd met back in high school. Roy was a bit of a rascal teenager, often getting scolded and sneaking out of the house to hang out with his friends, while Courtney was studious and always liked to follow the rules. Courtney's Mom jokingly asked them how they aren't sick of each other yet, working from home and spending so much of their free time together. Mainly, it’s because everything about their relationship has come with such ease. Their personalities complement each other, bringing out the best in both of them. Roy has incredible patience and a calm demeanor that encourages Courtney to be less of a Virgo. Courtney's thoughtfulness and attention to detail encourages Roy to be more focused and organized in daily life. Roy's Mom once told them at the beginning of their relationship that the two were like superglue—always stuck together. Nearly 13 years later, that surprisingly hasn’t changed much.

Courtney and Roy currently live in Downtown Los Angeles. Both work in the entertainment industry, with Roy as a VFX Artist in Games and Courtney as a Look Development Artist in Feature Animation. They are a family of four, which includes two German Shepherds named Peggy and Yuna. Peggy was a foster dog from a rescue that stole their hearts, and who they inevitably adopted in 2019. Last year, they brought rambunctious little Yuna into their lives as an 8 week old puppy, much to Peggy's dismay. They're hoping Peggy's wonderful demeanor will rub off on the little gremlin. In their free time the two absolutely love getting outdoors with the dogs. They love exploring the hiking trails around Southern California. When they are back home in Hawaii, you can find them at Ala Moana Beach Park where Roy swims and Courtney and Peggy paddleboard alongside him, or trying a new poke spot. They've gotten to see some amazing parts of the world together, like Iceland where they got to swim in below-freezing temperatures and Japan where they saw the beautiful cherry blossoms in Aomori. In recent years, Roy has become a big fan of triathlons and finished his first Ironman in 2022. For his bachelor party, he and his friends will be doing the Spartan race on Oahu's North Shore. Courtney dove into the world of dog sports with Peggy and currently trials in scentwork and obedience with her. They have built a special bond together, traveling throughout California for competitions.

Last summer, Courtney and Roy traveled to Italy with Roy's family. They spent two weeks visiting Rome, Positano, Capri, Florence, Tuscany, the Dolomites, and Venice. It was amazing, particularly Tuscany. They loved the change of pace from the bustling cities of Florence and Rome. It was a nice pause in their itinerary, letting them take in the relaxing beauty of the Tuscan countryside. After their stay in Tuscany, they rented a car and drove up to the Dolomites to spend a few days hiking and sightseeing in the "Italian Alps". Courtney was suspicious the moment they started their hike to Alpe di Siusi. She had shown Roy a photo of the exact view she was hoping to see, and Roy was unusually determined to find it. After two hours, just as the sun was beginning to set, they finally found the right spot. As Courtney was taking photos of Peggy, she noticed each time she glanced behind her, Roy was standing there very awkwardly with his hand in his pocket. If you know Roy, you know he’s not great at hiding things. The next time she turned around, Roy proposed with a beautiful ring. Standing in the gorgeous alpine meadow at the base of the Dolomites, surrounded by wildflowers with not a single soul in sight except for their precious Peggy, Courtney said yes. - Header Illustration by Shutong Liu -