So I was standing in front of Dr. Colman's classroom during sophomore year and here is this girl looking as sweet as can be waiting for Colman to open the door. I look down and I say to her "im sorry what's your name again, you already told me" She smiled and said "Grace". It took awhile but eventually I asked her out.

Over the last two years that we've been dating, we have often joked that God must have been watching both of us since the day we first stepped foot on Ave Maria University campus nearly five years ago, screaming, "You were made for each other!!! Get the hint already, and just accept it!!!" But alas, freshman year passed, and we didn't exchange more than a quick glance, maybe the occasional "Hey," as we passed by one another. Being the gentleman he is, John probably opened a door or two for me from time to time. I honestly don't remember.

What I do remember is the day we officially met in Intro to Political Thought, a class we had together sophomore year. We didn't think much of it at first, but then we started to see each other more often as the months passed. We would run into each other in the cafeteria and would gradually begin to spend a few extra minutes talking, just the two of us. Eventually, we started to see that we both balanced each other's personalities out and that maybe we weren't as different as we initially thought. Every once in a while, he would look at me and seem to be looking straight to my heart. It was somewhere between completely endearing and absolutely terrifying to feel so seen. Those moments kept me hopeful despite the fact that neither of us were ready to make a move quite yet. Completely unintentionally, we just clicked.

After what felt like a long year and a half of us both insisting we were just friends, John asked me to be his girlfriend on April 29, 2024—the very last day of our junior year.

The next year and a half of our relationship included lots of laughter, many tears from me, and a ton of FaceTime. We visited each other when we could and cherished the time we had together, but it often seemed to be the distance that brought us closer together. It wasn't always easy, but loving each other felt natural. Through all the unknowns of senior year and graduation, the only certainty about whatever lie ahead seemed to be that we would face it together.

On November 25, 2025, while gearing up for our second Cirello Thanksgiving together, John took me to the Statue of Liberty, where he asked me the best question with the easiest answer. Now we look back with gratitude at God's hand in our relationship from the very beginning, and we have immense hope for the future as we walk side by side as Mr. and Mrs. Cirello.