Meeting in biology class in Illinois, DeVonte and Shayna Jones were high school sweethearts when they started dating in 2007.
“Dissecting frogs made for a very romantic atmosphere,” Shayna jokes. “He played football, and I was a dancer. We went away to separate colleges to continue our education and athletics, experiencing the strain of a long-distance relationship for five years. But ultimately, we made our way back to each other.”
Shortly after their college graduation, DeVonte proposed to Shayna in grand fashion, and the couple were engaged in December 2015.
“I was dancing at a show in Chicago and had a short duet at the end of the act,” she says. “When I turned around, DeVonte was standing there with a mic and an engagement ring ready to propose to me in front of a huge crowd of people. Needless to say I said yes!”
The couple wedded in 2017 and moved to Southlake in 2019, where Shayna became pregnant and gave birth to her daughter Shai. Shayna says the most special thing about her and DeVonte is the foundation of friendship they’ve built with one another.
“We love to spend time together, but also believe in the importance of having aspirations and time for ourselves,” she says. “We respect each other as such and always encourage each other to be our best selves.”