Connect How did your love story begin?

Our friendship formed while I was newly separated and hosting Star Wars watch parties to fight isolation. Somewhere between the movies, laughter, and long conversations, we fell in love—like two pieces finally falling into place. As I learned to navigate life as a single mother of two, he never tried to fix me; he simply stood beside me, reminding me that while I was capable of doing it all on my own, I was never alone. Together, we're the role models for our beautiful family of 3 kids.

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

Our favorite memory is when Johanna graduated from her Master's program. We both had COVID graduations for undergrad, so when Johannas program finished, we knew we wanted to pack up all the kids and watch her walk across the stage. Since the graduation was in Ohio, the kids and I were able to meet many of Johanna's relatives for the first time. This also happened to be my first trip out-of-state where I was introduced to local culture, such as White Castle, Waffle House and Skyline Chili.

What would you do with $20,000?

$20,000 would go towards our upcoming wedding and honeymoon in 2027. My family in the Philippines will not be able to attend our wedding so we wanted to celebrate our honeymoon in the Philippines with the kids. It's important to me that Freddy meets my family and have our kids experience that integral part of my culture. Additionally, Freddy has a minor in Japanese language and going to Japan has always been a major goal of his. I would love to be able to add Japan to our itinerary