Julisa and Branco first met through a scholarship they received from Virignia Tech’s College of Business. They had to attend multiple workshops and presentations which would prepare them for post-grad success. Since Branco is a year older and was someone Julisa looked up to, she asked him to help her prepare for an upcoming internship interview. They met up at the campus library. As Julisa recalls, “I remember it like it was yesterday, on the first flfloor in the back corner behind the cafe. As he helped me prepare for my interview with his usual monotone demeanor, I could not stop laughing the entire time. I left with butterflies and wanted to get to know him better. After a few months of hanging out, I finally got the guts to tell him I liked him and the rest is history!”

When we asked Julisa and Branco when they knew marriage was the next chapter in their love story, they each had a sweet note to share about their relationship.

Branco shared, “Branco – I have had so many amazing memories with Julisa and I knew that I wanted to marry her so we could spend the rest of our lives together making even more memories. She knows exactly who I am and I know exactly who she is after going through so much and experiencing so many impactful life moments together. We both get along great with each other’s family’s which was really big for both of us since we both value their opinions a ton, at this point I think most of my family prefers her over me. I know that Julisa would do anything for me or my family and she makes me a better person every day.”

Julisa shared, “Early on in our relationship, I felt really comfortable with Branco and I got to know a lot about him and he very quickly became my best friend as well. I wanted to be with him every single day and quickly realized this is the person I want to spend the rest of my life with. It was solidified when I realized that through all my family’s crazy antics, he was still with me and loved my family as his own. This was super important to me because as the oldest, I’m very family oriented and my family is everything to me. Let’s not forget about how much my family loves him! They always pick his side over mine. But, Branco is truly everything I’ve ever dreamed of in a husband and I can’t wait to spend the rest of my life with my soulmate.”

Together Julisa and Branco like trying new restaurants, traveling to visit family and new places, and snuggling while watching Netflix/Hulu/Prime. Through the pandemic, they have enjoyed being work from home co-workers and have spent a lot of time working in a shared space. They have grown fond of this time together. One of their favorite things to do is watch/attend sporting events (love DC sports, Arsenal, Real Madrid and our national soccer teams (US, Bolivia, Honduras, El Salvador). 

Above everything else, Julisa and Branco value family first, faith as the foundation of their relationship and future household, and giving back to their community. They love to volunteer and serve in mentorship roles for younger generations coming from similar backgrounds. As Virginia Tech’s motto says, “Ut Prosim” which stands for “that I may serve.”