Rewind to September 2018: Classes were just getting started at UW-Madison and students were eagerly looking over syllabi, catching up with friends on the Terrace and gearing up for the first Badger home game of the year.

Enter: Modern Literature Lecture, Sophie & Alex

Sophie, a sophomore, and Alex, a junior, both looking to fulfill a Gen Ed requirement, enrolled in a Modern Literature class. Sophie chose a seat near Alex in the 200-person lecture hall in Mosse Humanities Building (pictured above) and immediately noticed the cute blonde boy. She told all her friends about “Cute ‘Lit’ Boy,” as she didn’t know his name. As the semester went on, Sophie and Alex continued to sit near each other but didn’t talk. Alex did notice, however, that the cute blonde girl was a lefty like him.

As fate would have it, one day while in the garage of her apartment complex, Sophie noticed Cute ‘Lit’ Boy and realized that they lived in the same building, and he even lived on the same floor as one of her best friends. The next lecture, it was time for Sophie to make her move - she started a conversation with Alex for the first time by asking, “Hey, don’t you live in Vantage Point Apartments?” -groundbreaking!

After that, they chatted whenever they were in class together. Alex eagerly told Sophie about his love for the Brewers (he had to make sure she wasn’t a Cubs fan), showed pictures of the deer he hunted (Sophie almost passed out), and complimented her outfits. One day the professor offered an extra credit movie. Because Alex did not seem to get the hint, Sophie clearly had to take the initiative, so she invited Alex to watch with her.

Since that movie, Alex and Sophie have embarked on a 5+ year relationship, enjoying fun times and trying new things together: international travel, camping, breweries and living in Milwaukee! Being an anchor for each other through tough times, extreme loss, and heartbreak has also been a blessing in their relationship.

As they begin this next chapter, they promise to continue to try new things and remember what’s truly important in life: each other. They are thankful to all their family and friends who have been a part of their story and can’t wait for more!