Class Notes In the midst of a global pandemic, life goes on and wedding bells ring by Summer Crick '14
The love story of Austin '20, (from Louisville, Ky.), and Annie-Grace (Marker) Trammell '20, (from Parkersburg, W.V.), began at Kentucky Wesleyan. Assigned to the same freshman orientation class, they were close friends by their sophomore year, became an item and were well on their way to a senior year engagement. "Something just suddenly clicked with me, and I realized what we had was something special and more than a friendship," Austin shared. They enjoyed involvement in Campus Ministries, serving as resident assistants and exploring as Wesleyan Fellows - Austin conducting math research and coding (computer programming to create active learning lessons and problems for Dr. Justin Trulen's use in various math courses) under Dr. Trulen, and Annie-Grace in chemistry under Dr. Krystal (Teasley) Hamorsky '04. Her project involved research to create a flavivirus biosensor which would ideally function to detect flaviviruses in serum. Austin was also the Wesley N. Panther mascot all four years. "I loved representing KWC. It was fun to fuel the crowd's imagination about who could be in that Panther suit," Austin remembered. Unlike the countless Wesleyan sweethearts who preceded them, Austin and Annie-Grace finalized their "life after college" plans in the midst of a global pandemic. Despite much of the world coming to a standstill, life kept moving forward for Annie-Grace and Austin. The couple's senior year ended abruptly as the pandemic evolved. After leaving campus in March, Austin scrambled
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to finish his student teaching hours, and Annie-Grace returned home to West Virginia and finished the semester remotely. Then they learned Commencement would be a virtual event, rather than the face-to-face ceremony they had envisioned. "We wish our senior year had ended differently, especially graduation, but we appreciated that the College took proper measures to keep everyone safe," the couple shared. "We didn't get to walk across the stage, but at the end of the day, we could still say we had successfully completed four strenuous years at Wesleyan, and we were healthy." A June wedding date was already on the calendar, and they had tough decisions to make. The couple condensed their list of wedding attendees to immediate family and the bridal party. "The change of venue and smaller size allowed us to enjoy a much more intimate wedding – something we genuinely cherished," Annie-Grace recalled. "We celebrated with those closest to us, and it was just what we needed; the perfect wedding we had never anticipated." After the wedding, it was time for the next steps in real world living. The Trammells moved to Starkville, Miss., where Annie-Grace attends Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine, and Austin is an eighth grade math teacher. Entering the classroom as a new educator during this challenging time includes unique stressors, but Austin sees a silver lining in the situation. Story continues on page 24
Kentucky Wesleyan Magazine
