Carmen and Jonah’s story began in college at a Quidditch party at the University of Minnesota. Carmen was a freshman and Jonah was a sophomore when a mutual friend invited Carmen and her maid of honor, Nicole, to the party, partly with the secret hope of introducing her to someone special. That someone turned out to be Jonah.

When they arrived, Carmen and Nicole immediately noticed Jonah and agreed he was the cutest one in the room. Jonah thought that she was the most beautiful girl he had ever met. During their meeting, Carmen guessed from his witty manner that he was an engineer, and when Jonah asked, “What kind?” she didn’t hesitate to say “Mechanical.” She was right.

The rest of the night was spent in good-natured competition over rounds of pong, full of laughter and easy conversation. When the party wound down, Jonah offered to walk Carmen and Nicole all the way back to Frontier Hall from Dinkytown. Jonah knew he couldn't let this amazing woman just walk away so he asked for Carmen’s number and asked if they both wanted to go out swing dancing the next day. What started as a casual night out turned into the beginning of something that would change both of their lives.

From that moment on, Carmen and Jonah have supported each other through every stage of college life, through late-night study sessions, graduations, cross-country moves, and countless adventures. They both share a love for travel, so together they have traveled across the world to places like Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Portugal, and Spain, collecting memories and stories along the way.

After Jonah finished his master’s in mechanical engineering and Carmen earned her bachelor’s in biomedical engineering, the two set out on a cross-country national park camping trip through the Rocky Mountains, Arches, Zion, the Grand Tetons, and Yellowstone, with a quick stop in Las Vegas for fun (and a shower).

At Zion National Park, on July 3rd, 2025, Jonah proposed at the Emerald Pools. He had hidden a “message in a bottle” inside a small cave, a perfect spot that Carmen initially didn’t want to explore. Inside the bottle was a note that read, Will you marry me? There were few words, just happy tears and a very easy “yes.” Together, they filled the bottle with sand from that moment and place, a keepsake to hold onto for the rest of their lives.