We met during our first year at St. Olaf College in 2012 where we (and many other good friends) all lived in Kittelsby Hall. We began as good friends and enjoyed playing intramural sports, nerding out about science and fantasy novels, and watching movies together. Despite Jordan having a crush, it took Zoe some time to come around. But Jordan's persistence and slow-burn tactics paid off -- we finally started dating in Fall of 2014.

After graduating from St. Olaf in 2016, Jordan began a Ph.D. program in Electrical Engineering at Princeton University. Zoe remained in Minnesota for a year working at the University of Minnesota, then enrolled at Michigan State University to pursue a Ph.D. in Microbiology in 2017. For six years, we weathered the ups-and-downs of a distance relationship while living hundreds of miles apart. We made the most of our brief visits and consistently reminded ourselves that this was only temporary.

In November 2021, Jordan made a visit to Michigan for Zoe's birthday. The weekend weather was magnificent, and we trekked to Lake Michigan for a hike. As we crested a dune, Jordan turned to Zoe and asked a very important question. He presented her with an incredibly special gift: a handmade ring with a Lake Superior agate we had found together the Summer before. We've always held the Great Lakes in reverence. This was the perfect place for us to promise these next steps together.

After finishing our graduate degrees in Spring 2022, we both moved back to Minnesota. Jordan earned a faculty position at St. Olaf in the Physics Department and Zoe began working as a postdoctoral researcher in Plant Pathology at the University of Minnesota. As we begin our life together, we are so excited to celebrate with you!