Gracie Fairfax and Lindsay Robinson | Echo
Ever glance over at your classmate's hand and find a wedding band? For some Taylor couples, married life begins before graduation. Between balancing classes and additional adult responsibilities, these couples prove to have unique college experiences.
Nate and Kat Scheibe first met in the DC towards the end of their freshman year. Kat was sitting at a booth with their mutual friend, Mariel Heins, when Nate came and sat down with them. They immediately hit it off as friends, although according to Nate, "I was pretty much interested from the start."
While some may say engagement is the first step towards disengaging from the Taylor community, seniors Nate and Kat Scheibe view married life at Taylor from a different perspective.
"One thing that's become really important to us is Sunday Night Potluck at our house," Kat said. "We cram as many of our friends as we can in our little apartment and eat and laugh and just spend time together."
When seniors Ralph and Amanda Carratura got married this summer they had to make similar adjustments. Amanda echoes the same sentiments as the Scheibes and said it is all about intentionally making time for friends.
Finding the perfect balance just requires some planning ahead. While it may seem stressful, Nate and Kat found that marriage without the stress of post-grad life is a helpful transition into married life.
"We also love being with so many of the people we love the most, because marriage is so much sweeter with people who are invested in your lives," Kat said.
While enjoyable, there are many additional stress factors that come with marriage. From paying rent to figuring out what's for dinner, the stress can build up. It is in those times that focusing on God is crucial.
"One of the hardest lessons I've learned is honestly finding time to do my quiet time because I need God more than ever in this stage of my life," Amanda said. "It can be difficult to find times to just sit with Lord and talk to Him, even just about the littlest things, completely alone."
Being married while attending college presents its challenges, but these couples have taken this life change in stride: making time to balance friends, school, each other and-most importantly-their relationship with God
