Connect How did your love story begin?

I took an engineering internship after my dad challenged me to prove I really wanted to be an engineer. Instead, I found my husband. Mark turned down my attempt to set him up with my best friend, saying, “She’s pretty, but I want to date you.” We worked together for a month before our first date, were engaged just 20 days later, and have now shared nearly 37 wonderful years of marriage. Sometimes, when you know, you just know.

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

After saving for a year, we bought our first little home in South Tampa. While working in the yard one weekend, I started feeling sick. A doctor’s visit confirmed I was pregnant with our first son. I drove straight to Mark’s office, and before I could say a word, he looked at me, smiled, and shouted, “You’re pregnant!” He picked me up and spun me around. That joyful moment still makes us smile nearly 37 years later.

What would you do with $20,000?

We’d take our “six pack” to Costa Rica—Mark, me, our two sons, our daughter-in-law, and our son’s girlfriend. Our last trip there was our favorite vacation, and one of the girls has never experienced its beauty. We love to fish, relax, and spend quality time together, so we’d use the prize to create new memories with the people we love most.