We met right before the start of our senior year at Minnesota State University, Mankato. Sam was going to school to become a dental hygienist and Zhenya was going for his marketing degree. We had the same friend group and often hung out together playing cards, going shopping, and rollerblading. Inevitably, our friendship grew into a relationship, and by the end of the year we officially became “girlfriend and boyfriend.” We both supported one another as we watched each other graduate and start our full-time careers. Sam remained at North Mankato Family Dentistry (NMFD) where she had been working during her time in school. Zhenya was hired on at our local news station (KEYC), which ironically is located on the same block as NMFD. This gave us the convenience of enjoying our lunch hour together, where we debriefed our morning experiences in our new roles. Our summer consisted of countless memorable adventures, such as traveling to Chicago, camping, lodging, hiking, paddle boarding, and so much more! Zhenya brought Sam camping with his family at Lake Byllesby, located in Cannon Falls, MN. And on August 27th at 1:16 in the afternoon, Zhenya got down on one knee and proposed to Sam, she said yes and now we are here… <3