They first met online and shortly after, met in person for pizza. “We were both clearly pretty nervous,” Megan said. “But we had some pizza and great conversation, then we walked around Iowa State’s campus.”

They were living in Ames at the time and began regularly going on walks through the cross country course. They had stopped at a bench one night and “we were just sitting on a bench together looking at the stars. He was so kind and so sweet and I just felt so happy and safe with him, on just a regular night, and I knew he was the one.”

Paul describes Megan as trustworthy, compassionate, and agreeable. “I can trust her. She is dependable. She will go out of her way to make your life better. She is an amazing friend. If you can’t get along with Megan, you’re the problem. She doesn’t have any edges to be rough around.”

In turn, Megan said he is kind, smart, and compassionate. “He always works so hard to be nice to people. He is a kind person and, whether it’s someone he just met or someone he’s known forever, he always treats them with kindness and respect.

“He is a naturally intelligent man and watching him get all excited and geek out about wind turbines, or DNA sequencing, or obscure laws is just so cute. Even if I don’t know what in the world he’s talking about, seeing him so excited and passionate about what he’s working on is fantastic.

“Seeing how much he cares about other people and wants to help others is sweet. He always watches out for other people and wants to make sure everyone is included and feels welcome.”

When Paul proposed, he “was not subtle about my intentions.” They were in California visiting his family for Christmas. They were staying within walking distance to the beach and he suggested a walk. As she got up to leave, he said, “You go ahead; I’ll catch up.”

Once he got the ring in his pocket and caught up with her, they walked around looking for a spot with a nice view, but without a ton of people. “Eventually we found a spot right behind the pier and we just sat there for a while, looking out over the ocean. Then he got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. He was so sweet and caring and I was so excited that I just grabbed the ring from him and put it on.” She definitely meant yes.