Our Story
Mark and Helen met in their first class on the first day of their first year at the University of Texas at Austin. Helen was already seated when Mark walked in wearing his Navy ROTC uniform. Even though he was bare of any "chest-candy" ribbons, Helen thought he looked really cute and impressive and hoped he would sit by her. He did! The story goes that after class Mark asked if he could pass his phone around and get everyone's numbers to form a "study group." He passed it first to Helen on his right, she put her number in, and then Mark promptly took his phone back and said, "Sorry gotta get to my next class!" A week later Helen invited Mark to her first ADPi date event and a month later he reciprocated by inviting her to UT's Navy-Marine Corp Birthday Ball. Staying friends for two years, Mark and Helen started dating their sophomore year in May 2013.
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Fast forward through two years of Longhorn football games, Plan II classes, ADPi socials, Texas Blazers barge parties, Navy ROTC events, many many cookouts at Mark's "Animal Haus," and a pretty serious queso rating system, Mark and Helen graduated in May 2015 both with BAs in Plan II, the program that had brought them together on that first day of class four years before. In September 2015, Mark and Helen moved to England together to both pursue Masters degrees, Mark studying the MPhil in International Relations at Oxford University and Helen earning her MA in History of Art and MA in Curating the Art Museum at the Courtauld Institute of Art in London. Throughout that first year in grad school their relationship continued to grow as they mastered the art of traveling in just a backpack on Ryanair, battled the British love of queuing, and indulged in many a cozy evening losing at pub trivia with friends.
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On Friday, July 1, 2016, Mark proposed and Helen said yes!
How He Asked
Helen's Story
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On July 1, I thought Mark was taking me to the Oxford Strategic Studies Group Annual Gala at All Souls College. Now I was also 99.9% sure he was going to propose at said gala. He had dropped several hints over the past few weeks, but, not wanting to spoil the surprise, I played dumb. All day the weather had been typically English: dreary, overcast, windy, and threatening rain. But as Mark and I stepped into the All Souls quad, the sun peaked out and cast a warm, late afternoon glow upon the beautiful 18th-century buildings. As I was marveling at how pretty it was, Mark surprised me by saying we could walk on the grass to the center of the quad (usually only professors are allowed to walk on the grass at Oxford colleges). Mark led me to a spot near the center of the quad, in front of the iconic dome of the Radcliffe Camera, turned to me and said, "Um." At that moment I knew for sure it was happening and started crying. Mark got down on one knee, pulled the ring of out his pocket, and asked, "Will you marry me?" And of course I said yes!
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Two friends, Mike and Jon, popped out to take pictures and a third, Nick, had Mark's mom and sister on Facetime so they could watch the proposal and wish us congratulations! Mark's professor, Edward, was also there--Mark had to get someone within the college to "sponsor" his proposal so they'd let him do it! Then I realized that Mike was wearing his signature Chacos and none of them were in black tie, but they were supposed to be going to the gala too. I asked, "Wait, is there even a gala?!" "Nope, no gala," Nick said and everyone started laughing. I couldn't believe it!! For weeks people had been talking to me about this gala. Mark would even start conversations about logistics with other committee members in front of me! The fact that the gala was a complete ruse totally surprised me. As I was freaking out about the fake gala, Nick goes, "HELEN! Forget the gala! You just got engaged!"
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Mark had us take engagement photos then at his college, New College, and said we were going to Balliol College next to take a few more. Little did I know that he and my mother had planned a surprise engagement party at Balliol too! It was such a sweet surprise seeing so many of the friends we've made in England, as well as a few old family friends, there to celebrate with us. Mark surprised me in so many ways and made me feel so special and loved that day. I am so excited to share our lives together!
Mark's Story
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Secrets, suspense, arcane Oxford bureaucracy, a drone crash...the story of Operation Condor Claw coming soon!
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