The college dating scene can be tough to maneuver, but one Ferris couple found their way to each other with a little help from above.
“Right before I got to college I got out of a really bad, really long relationship so I was just kind of looking to work on myself and build my relationship with Christ,” Pre-pharmacy junior Alyssa Martin said.
Through Real Life Campus Ministries and similar RSOs, Martin met Caleb Divens, a senior in pharmacy school, at the end of the Spring 2013 semester.
“We went to the same church and we would see each other sometimes at random meetings at the end of the year,” Martin said. “We didn’t even really notice each other until that spring. At the end of the school year, he asked for my number.”
Divens was into partying his freshman and some of sophomore year, but after a while he realized there had to be a larger meaning to life. He started reading the Bible to learn more about God. He prayed a lot for God to bring the right girl into his life when the time was right.
“I prayed that for weeks—even months—and there was just something different about Alyssa when I started talking to her,” Divens said.
After a summer of getting to know each other via Skype, FaceTime, and hanging out, Divens and Martin became official in August 2013.
“They both love Jesus, weight lifting and cornbread – sounds like a perfect match to me,” Martin’s roommate and Pre-Pharmacy junior Katie Becker said.
Divens said that if it wasn’t for Jesus and their belief in Him, he’s not sure if their relationship would be what it is today.
“We try to base our relationship on Him and go from there,” Divens said. “I really feel that Alyssa and I are really focused on our spiritual lives and it’s preparing us to be more selfless. We’re just looking to do things for each other and other people.”
Divens’ proposal occurred this past winter break and was pretty close to something out of a fairy tale. They had talked about marriage before and Martin anticipated he would eventually propose, but he still wanted to surprise her with the actual proposal.
Their evening began with dinner, a four mile drive through Christmas lights and ended with open skating at an ice rink, which Divens had rented out specifically for them.
“About 45 minutes into skating and listening to music, I took her to center ice and I went on a really long spiel of why I loved her and wanted to spend the rest of my life with her,” Divens said.
As with any couple that makes the decision to get married at a young age, Martin and Divens occasionally face questions of why they’re doing this now, especially when they’re still in school.
“The timing was right for us,” Martin said. “I like how I always feel safe and protected with him. I like how he serves me; he does acts of service a lot. He leads me a lot in my walk with Jesus, and he’s just really a leader in our relationship and I find that really attractive.”
The couple anticipates a wedding on Dec. 19, 2015.