Connect How did your love story begin?

We met at Chico State, at Max's fraternity. My girlfriends dragged me out of the house to meet some "really nice" frat guys, which included a nerdy surfer kid with glasses. We played an incredible game of beer pong (our best to date) and then started talking about Star Wars. Then he disappeared for a bit and later I heard some yelling—"everyone downstairs! Max is streaking down the block!" I laughed so hard, and he later admitted that the only reason he did that was to get my attention.

What is your favorite memory you've shared as a couple?

Those college days are my most cherished. Skipping class just to hang out together, pooling cash to try and have sushi, him calling me "his girl" to his frat guys, me dragging him to the library to study, staying up until 4 AM talking about our lives and dream, making terrible banana bread just to have an excuse to come over, timing our walks to class so that we would "run into" each other—so many moments where it felt like the only people in the world were him and I.

What would you do with $20,000?

After 3 years together, we're about to move to San Diego so we can go to grad school—I want to be a high school history teacher, and Max wants to be a therapist. We've been working full time, living with our parents, and doing long distance for a full year in order to save enough money to chase these dreams and the beginning of this life together. With $20,000 we could think past survival mode and make longer-term plans without having to take on more debt.