thomas edward

Thomas and I met at the tail-end of our freshman year at Virginia Tech. A boy I was "seeing" introduced the two of us, informing us that he thought "we'd get along." Needless to say, that was an understatement. By the time the summer started, Tom and I had begun emailing and chatting online, while I got myself tangled in a very unhealthy relationship with the boy who introduced us. After much turmoil and discussion, I broke off my relationship with the boy in the mid-summer, and Tom helped me during my healing (and very pathetic) process. By the end of the summer, Tom and I had grown to be very close, speaking every night til the wee hours of the morning (3-5am). While we both had secret crushes on each other, we dared not reveal anything until we were sure the spark was for real. On the night of September 27th, we finally admitted to each other our feelings. On the night of September 28th (technically the 29th), we shared our first kiss. That kiss would be the first of many, and now we have been together for 2 and a half years.

In retrospect it is such an intimate pleasure for me to observe and evaluate the progression of our relationship. We have changed, adapted, and grown in so many ways that it is inexpressible with words alone. Two words to describe the collision of our Cantonese Chinese and Italian cultures are rich and beautiful. All I can say is that Tom has been the most dramatic change in my life, and not only does he compliment me, but more importantly, he challenges me, as my capacity to shine exceeds even my own expectations. He gives the gifts of true love and solid faith.

Tom is currently an Engineering Science & Mechanics senior at Virginia Tech. He will pursue his Masters degree in Biomedical Engineering in the near future. Tom is first and foremost a musician. He has been playing guitar since he was 12 years old and is working on the recording and production of his second rock album (his first album being heavy metal). He is also a resident advisor in Lee Hall, a teaching assistant/webmaster for Materials Science and Engineering, and a weekly columnist for the Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech's student-run newspaper.