Highschool

The couple first laid eyes on each other in their freshman year of high school at Monroe in August 2016. While Jenna always thought he was cute, she could only admire him from afar since their class schedules did not overlap. They did not get to interact that much before Jakob switched schools to prioritize his hockey career after December 2017.

Rekindle

Fast forward to August 2021, Jakob just finished his basic training with the Navy. He briefly visited home before reporting to his first duty station in Bremerton, Washington. While he was there, he accompanied Koen, his brother, and parents to watch a highschool volleyball game. Koen’s girlfriend, Jackie, was part of the West Valley team who played the season opener against Monroe – where Cayla, Jenna’s sister, played as well. During the game, Jenna came barreling in (after one of her college labs got out late) to cheer on her sister from the sidelines. Jakob recognized Jenna’s familiar face and from there, it was love at first sight for Jakob. He reached out that next day to her to ask for her contact information.

Dating

Many months later, Jakob and Jenna grew closer with every message and FaceTime that the two of them shared. When December 2022 rolled around, Jakob came home to Fairbanks to visit family and Jenna. They had their first date the very first night that Jakob came to Fairbanks. They went to see the holiday lights show, sightseeing on campus, and even shared their first kiss under the northern lights at Creamer’s Field. The two of them hit it off so well that they decided to start dating on December 30th, 2022.

Trips

Ever since then, the couple has made it a priority to visit each other as much as possible. Whether it be during leave blocks, school breaks, or quick weekends, the two of them always made the most out of their times together. Over the years, the couple has made plenty of visits to Washington, Alaska, and even Disney World!

Engagement

On their last visit before Jakob was deployed to Bahrain, the two of them had one big visit in Tyler, TX. On November 26th, 2024, Jakob took Jenna to the Tyler Rose Gardens where he proposed to her!

Now

When December 2024 came around, Jakob had to leave the states and head to his next duty station in Bahrain. Even with this being the farthest away they have been from each other (6,068 miles to be exact), they made it a priority to FaceTime and message each other as much as possible. Despite the distance, their love for each other grew stronger each and every day. Now, the final days of long distance are nearing and the couple could not be any happier to celebrate their marriage (and the end of long distance) with all of their loved ones <3