An engagement after three months of dating might seem ridiculous to some, but for Southern Utah University students Sydney Samuelson and Ryan Gagnier, it makes sense. All it took was a bag of pretzels and a transfer.
Samuelson and Gagnier met last summer while working as counselors at the For Strength of Youth program run by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The program sends counselors all over the United States for a week at a time to chaperone a youth camp.
Although both Utah natives, Samuelson and Gagnier met in California because of FSY. Whether their meeting was fate or pure luck, the two instantly hit it off.
“We were immediately ridiculous together,” Samuelson said. “We would just do rand
om yoga poses at each other.”
After only a couple days together, they decided to hang out outside of work. Samuelson said she didn’t know if it was a date or not, but by the end of the night, she was hoping for a second one.
Their first date consisted of eating Dot’s Pretzels and gas station cinnamon rolls, which the pair now holds dearly in their memories. In fact, Samuelson gets hungry just thinking about their first date.
Their demanding summer schedules did not permit a lot of personal time, so when they were able to slip away for their date, it was late at night.
“Everything was closed by then,” they both said.
“So we did a lot of walking and talking,” Samuelson said.
Samuelson joked that it was Gagnier’s love for “Pride and Prejudice” that told her he was the one.
“The six hour version is better,” said Gagnier, laughing, “but I appreciate the Kiera Knightley version.”
Gagnier reflected on how he knew Samuelson was the one.
“All I ever wanted was to laugh hysterically with the love of my life and that’s what I got,” he said.
Their summer jobs meant every week they were in a new place, sometimes separating the new couple for weeks at a time. The two kept in contact through texts and many, many long phone calls, and they saw each other on weekends when possible.
After a summer of long distance, the two began to talk about marriage. By the end of September, they were engaged. On a sign Gagnier made for the proposal, letters spelled out the phrase, “You are the most ridiculous,” referring to their immediate connection.
Despite their excitement to marry, the two faced uncertainty about the future. Gagnier was enrolled at Brigham Young University for the fall semester, while Samuelson was continuing her education at SUU.
Samuelson originally attended SUU during the 2021-22 school year before deferring for a proselytizing mission for her church. By the time she and Gagnier met, she was already enrolled for courses at SUU in the fall, and it was too late for either of them to transfer.
Samuelson originally picked SUU for the scholarships, the diverse culture of students and her personal connection to Cedar City. Her parents are alumni of the university, so she grew up visiting Cedar City often.
Though she was excited to return to SUU, Samuelson made the decision to transfer to BYU after the fall semester so she and Gagnier could be together
But as the couple fell more in love with each other over the course of three months, Samuelson also felt drawn to return to SUU and Cedar City. The school began to grow on Gagnier as well.
“I grew up coming to Cedar City and I always loved Cedar,” Gagnier said, noting he almost attended SUU. When he met Samuelson, he drove down every other weekend to visit and fell more and more in love with southern Utah.
On one particular weekend while Gagnier was visiting, Samuelson took him on a tour.
“I was so excited to show him around like, my Cedar City, like the P.E. building and Main Street and where all my history classes were. And then I fell silent.”
Gagnier then turned to her and asked, “You’re thinking about staying, aren’t you?” and the answer was yes.
It’s for the same reasons Samuelson originally attended SUU that pulled her and Ryan back. The financial factor, the Utah Shakespeare Festival, a beautiful campus and the parking situation, led both of them to reconsider their decision to transfer to BYU.
Gagnier said while visiting multiple times a month, he slowly thought, “Yeah, I like this place. I could go here.”
The two talked a lot about transferring and what their future might look like at either school. Ultimately, they both chose SUU for each other and their futures.
Samuelson said there are more academic opportunities for her interests at SUU. Both a strategic communication and history major, she said it would be nearly impossible to double major at a different school.
Gagnier said he prefers the class sizes at SUU. Before transferring this spring semester, he was in a class of 900 students. He said because the classes are so much smaller here, he learns faster and better understands in class. There are other perks too.
“Because the classes are smaller here, I spend less time outside of class with homework, and more time with (Sydney),” he said.
The couple spends their extra time together in Utah’s scenic backyard. The two enjoy the never-ending hikes, red rock, pine trees, canyons and frozen waterfalls.
In addition to natural wonders, Gagnier mentioned several times his appreciation for the parking situation – or lack thereof – at SUU. At BYU, he rode a Razor scooter to school every morning to avoid buying a parking pass. Now, he can walk to and between his classes easily.
“You don’t even have to buy a parking pass here!” he exclaimed, making Samuelson laugh.
Gagnier has settled in quickly here and already made friends. The variety of activities at SUU have allowed him to branch out and meet new people. The couple agrees their favorite activity in Cedar City is swing dancing.
After three months of dating and an eight month engagement, the two will be married in May at the Payson, Utah Latter-Day Saints Temple.
In the meantime, while they excitedly plan their wedding, the couple can be seen going on dates, hanging out with friends, attending classes and being ridiculous together.
Author: Hannah Clove
Editor: Heather Turner
Photos courtesy of Sydney Samuelson and Elisse Shepherd
eic@suunews.net
This article was originally published in the February 2025 edition of the University Journal.
