Connect How did your love story begin?

I was 17 when I met Rey. He worked at Pizza Hut with my sister, and I’d “just happen” to stop by to visit her, but we all knew that was a lie. Young and no idea where life would take us. Today, we’ve raised two amazing kids, survived life’s hardest seasons, built businesses and inventions together, and we’re still the couple who laughs until our stomachs hurt over the dumbest jokes. We didn’t build a perfect life, we built a real one.

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

It’s hard to choose just one because our favorite memories are the life we’ve created together. From becoming parents to watching our son leave for the Coast Guard and cheering on our daughter every step of the way, every milestone has brought us closer. We also love dreaming big together, creating inventions, building our business, and proving that no dream is too crazy when you have the right partner beside you.

What would you do with $20,000?

We’d use the $20,000 to invest in the dreams we’ve built together over the last two decades. It would help grow my real estate career, bring our patent-pending invention, Aligna, closer to becoming a reality, and help expand Malali, the company I co-founded with two of my lifelong friends. Above all, we’d be showing our children that if you work hard, take chances, and never give up on your dreams, anything is possible.