Ourstory
High School
James and Hamsi first met during summer band before their freshman year of high school, where they both played clarinet. They quickly became best friends—it felt as though they had known each other for years, even though only a few months had passed. Not long after, they began dating, attending Band Homecoming together.
Throughout high school, they shared countless experiences, from being in the same Health Sciences class to working side by side on DECA and HOSA projects. Band played a particularly special role in their story, taking them to Disneyland, San Francisco, and many memorable marching band competitions along the way. Their journey came full circle senior year, when they served together as drum majors of the Westwood High School marching band.
College
Hamsi and James were lucky enough to attend the same college, both enrolling at the University of Texas. Hamsi studied Science and Technology Management, while James pursued Chemical Engineering. During her freshman year, Hamsi joined Nach Baliye, with James enthusiastically cheering her on from the audience. They both lived at Jester and spent plenty of time at J2 (just kidding—Hamsi hated it).
Along the way, they traveled together, including a ski trip to Colorado just two months before COVID shut everything down. They made it through the pandemic side by side, fostering several dogs in the process. One of those pups turned into a foster fail—they grew too attached and adopted her for good. Today, Cashew proudly holds the title of their very spoiled dog.
Medical School/Dental School
Very fortunately, James and Hamsi were both able to attend UT Health San Antonio—Hamsi in dental school and James in medical school. Together, they survived countless late-night study sessions while still finding plenty of time for fun. They attended the dental school formal and traveled to several memorable destinations, including San Francisco, Colorado, and New York, where James proposed to Hamsi the day after a Taylor Swift concert (the best weekend of Hamsi’s life).
Their adventures continued with engagement photos in Lake Tahoe, trips to Punta Cana and Belize, and an unforgettable Bachelor X trip to Puerto Vallarta. Hamsi matched into oral & maxillofacial surgery residency at Texas A&M, and James matched into anesthesiology residency at UT Southwestern. They are so excited to begin this next chapter—and all the adventures still to come—together.
