Madie and Aleksi

It all started when I asked her out to the Halloween Dance in 10th grade…

We were both transfer students at Oxbridge Academy and the first school dance was just days away. I had almost every class with Madie and I was smitten; her beautiful smile, her hilarious stories, and her hunger for the word of God always left me wanting more. I decided that there was no one else in the world who I would rather go to the Halloween Dance with than Madie, so I asked her out and to my surprise she said yes! Suddenly, the dance was canceled and Madie and I were left with nothing but our rock-star costumes, and a free Friday evening. We decided to spend the evening downtown and the rest was history, I asked Madie to be my girlfriend a couple days later.

As we began dating I helped Madie start Oxbridge Academy’s FCA (Fellowship of Christian Athletes) club and we both began sharing our faith with dozens of our friends. Madie was truly an answer to my prayers and everyday I shared with her was better than the last. Months turned into years and before we knew it, Madie and I had spent countless days on the beach, become nationally recognized artists at Carnegie Hall, and hiked the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Our faith was confirmed once again when Madie and I both opened-up acceptance letters to the University of Florida and decided to continue our adventures in Gainesville, Florida.

Having my best friend by my side throughout college was a dream-come-true: we studied our brains out, threw the craziest of parties, and became the snobbiest restaurant critics in Gainesville. I began to realize that Madie was more than just my girlfriend, she completed me. As graduation dawned upon us, I knew I had one thing left in order to complete my college journey, and that was to propose to Madie. With her family’s kindness, I was able to transform Madie’s Grandmother’s engagement ring into a one-of-a-kind ring for Madie. On February 26th, 2019, I asked Madie to marry me at the Butterfly Rainforrest at Gainesville’s Natural History Museum. Six years of love, laughter, and learning built up to that moment, and I will always see that journey as a testimony to our Lord. Thank you to each-and-everyone of you all for encouraging us on this journey, we look forward to celebrating a lifetime of joy with you all.