Joceline & Zachary

Their friendship continued to grow, because Joceline still talked to him ALL the time. Amid their growing friendship was the fact that her parents wouldn’t permit them to date. That didn’t stop Zach and Joceline from hanging out, and their “go-to” hangout spot was in her home under her parents’ supervision. This provided the perfect opportunity for Joceline’s family to meet and get to know Zach better.

That is where Joceline’s Auntie entered the equation. Auntie had met Zach many times and LOVED him. Some may say she even loved Zach more than Joceline at the time! After a few persuasive sisterly chats, Joceline’s parents finally agreed to let them date.

In 2021 Joceline graduated high school and headed down to Tennessee to attend Lee University. There she met her amazing roommate, Bella, and other lifelong friends…but definitely missed Zach. The following year, Zach graduated high school and chose the University of Tennessee (Go Vols!), because he realized that any other university would’ve required too long a bike ride to get to Joceline. Finally, Joceline and Zach were only an hour and a half apart. They got to see each other most weekends, which was a great improvement over the long-distance access they had to endure before.

On July 12, 2025, Zach pulled off the surprise of a lifetime and proposed. The day was perfect and filled with so much joy! Every “not now;” every long-distance call; every hard conversation; and yes, even every mile biked culminated in this moment when she could finally say, “yes!” It was worth the commitment, endurance, and faithfulness. Their story is filled with a deep and abiding love. And it’s not the end of their story; it’s the beginning!