Connect How did your love story begin?

It all began with chemistry- literally! We both attended the same university and quickly felt the sparks (for me at least). He had no idea I liked him despite rushing to sit with him before class every day. I finally worked up the courage to ask him out. Even then, he thought it was just a friendly hangout and asked who else would be joining us. By the end of the night, he realized it was a real date, immediately asked me to be his girlfriend, and from that moment on, we were inseparable.

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

Our favorite memory is realizing how many times our paths had crossed before we ever became a couple. Not long after we started dating, we discovered that despite growing up hundreds of miles apart, I had visited his family's toy shop as a child. We had take classes together, but on separate side of the room, shared friends, and unknowingly accompanied each other's stories for years. It proved to us both that what was meant to be would always be and every path led to each other.

What would you do with $20,000?

We would use this money to purchase our first home. We've moved from rental to rental, for jobs and for our education. We've scrimped and saved, spent weekends going to open houses, and dreamed about what our home will look like and how it will shape our future. Obtaining education is important for us, however my recent Master's graduation and Hayden's current PhD program has made saving a challenge. With this, we could finally put down roots and make dreams into reality.