In the frozen North, the University of Rochester is where Ben and Motunrayo (Tutu) began their relationship. During her second year of college, Tutu was a D’Lion, an upperclassman who helped welcome in first year students. At that time, Ben was a first year student so the two had initially met when Ben visited her residence hall. While they had only just been introduced, they continued to run into each other throughout the year since they had mutual friends. Over time, as their paths continued to cross, they got to know each other better. Ben helped Tutu pass secret messages to her sorority-little-to-be. Tutu saw Ben when he came to Starbucks, and she playfully teased him because he had a bushy beard and wore clothing that reminded her of the boy scouts. She then came to know him as "the guy in the boy scout uniform." As their contact increased, they became friends and spent more time together. The following year, shortly after returning from summer vacation, Ben, Tutu, and a friend of hers were walking back from the campus grocery when Ben made a joke about a movie he had seen. Tutu's friend didn't understand the reference and so Ben and Tutu convinced her to watch the movie with them that evening. However, when the time came, the friend decided to go out to a party instead. Tutu stayed with Ben since she hadn’t been feeling well that day due to a bad cold. While they watched the movie, Ben took care of her by making her tea and keeping her company. While he could have gone out and left her, he watched over her, which Tutu found to be a sign of a true friend! It wasn’t until three weeks after that day Ben took care of Tutu that they decided to start a relationship. Over the course of those three weeks, they had many dates and spent a lot of time together. One evening, while they were hanging out, Tutu asked Ben if he'd officially be her boyfriend. Without hesitation, Ben replied "done" and the rest is history! Since then, they have had ten strong years of friendship and love. They began to make a home together and added their pride and joy, their dog Kiss! While Ben and Tutu love their history, they cannot wait to see what their future brings and how many dogs Ben can convince Tutu to let live under one roof. So please join them in celebrating their 10 year anniversary September 2023.