Ever since they met in their sophomore years at Mount St. Joseph University, Ashley and Brady have been “inseparable.”
What can we expect to get out of our college experience? A degree? Definitely. Friends? Most likely. Your soulmate? For Ashley and Brady DeBurger-Johnson, the answer to this was an enthusiastic, “yes!”
Growing up in Northern Cincinnati, Ashley enjoyed the small class sizes at Mount St. Joseph University, and the fact that campus was close to home. She also was able to begin playing lacrosse, “which was new and different for me,” says Ashley. The Mount’s esteemed Education department also matched her desire perfectly for a Special Education major.
Little did she know at the time, but her future husband would be transferring to the Mount in both of their sophomore years.
From the small town of Peebles, Ohio, Brady wanted to be at a university closer to home and be able to play his favorite sport—baseball—at a higher level. Similar to Ashley, Brady majored in Education with a concentration in History. With such similar majors, the two were bound to ultimately cross points throughout their academic careers.
The Beloved Board Where It All Began
On the 6th floor, Ashley and her roommate put up a whiteboard outside their room. “We really used it to check in with other friends that lived up in the dorms and might have stopped by,” Ashley says. “We all had phones, but we were all so incredibly lazy and it wasn’t a big deal to pop in and hang out.” Through having a shared, creative space right outside their living area, the roommates invited everyone on the floor to talk with them. “it was definitely interesting to wake up and see what we were going to have on the board [everyday]” Ashley reflects.
One of the many who flocked to this board was Brady, who also lived on the 6th floor. After writing back and forth to each other a few times, Ashley realized they both had the same Psychology class. “I actually thought he looked really mean, so I avoided him for a while,” she laughs. However, after Brady took a leap of faith and sent a DM to her on Twitter, the two decided to hang out.
“After we started talking and found out we had a lot in common, we became inseparable,” says Ashley. They both played spring sports and highly valued their similar majors—which made it easy for the couple to always find things to talk about.
“We did everything together after that. From tailgating at the Mount for football games, or rushing to be on time for class, we were together. Brady and I became best friends and classmates at the same time. It was so natural and such an integral part of my time at MSJ.”
Settling Into a New Life
After graduating together in 2019, Ashley and Brady started their 6th and 7th grade teaching careers, respectively. Brady then proposed in September of the same year. “We had a lot of friends from the Mount help us celebrate,” says Ashley.
In March of 2020—also known as when the world shut down—the couple moved closer to Brady’s hometown of Peebles, and the two have loved it ever since. A little over a year later, Ashley and Brady got married in rainy, late May.
Today, the two are both working on getting their Master’s in Education Administration. “We were so fortunate to have amazing educators in the Education Department that inspired both of us,” Ashley emphasizes.
“The Mount allowed us to create friendships and memories that we can still laugh about today. Overall, it gave us each other, and we are very thankful for that.”
Congratulations, Ashley and Brady!
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