We met one night through mutual friends at a party during our first weeks at Stanford as PhD students. We hit it off right away, Sean walked Shizuka home and they continued to see each other from then on. Although early on, Shizuka made it clear that the relationship should not get too serious - after all, her goal was to get a PhD! - Sean continued to patiently wait. It became obvious to both of us that sharing a sense of humor, an intellectual streak, and a competitive spirit, we were meant to be together.
We share a mutual passion for traveling and have been on some pretty incredible trips over these past years. Sean has introduced Shizuka to the great outdoors, camping in Yosemite and along the Big Sur coast. We've visited family in both Japan and England, enjoying the local cuisine and sights. We traveled with the Hunter family and relaxed on beaches in Barcelona, and (maybe Shizuka's favorite) visited the Harry Potter experience in London. Our next adventures take us to Alaska and Hawaii for the honeymoon!
We have to introduce you to the most important member of our new family: our adorable pup, Audrina. She has been Shizuka's dog since Shizuka was 16 years old, but Sean got to meet her after we moved in together and was instantly converted into a dog person. She is the world's best cuddler, therapy animal and recently completed her thesis on "The effects of intermittent barking and growling on graduate student welfare."
We are both huge foodies and love to cook at home. Shizuka is an excellent baker and we have enjoyed some serious eats over the past few years! The kitchen in the early days was a place of stress for both of us, as Shizuka maintains a very orderly kitchen (having been raised by chefs who required everything mise en place) and Sean was unaccustomed. We've sorted all that now, and Shizuka is happy to say that the kitchen is tidier than ever.
We're both fun loving people who like to have a good time. We share a passion for science and education, but most enjoy spending time with family and friends going on culinary and outdoor adventures!
I proposed to Shizuka on the very same hike which had been our first date. We both love the outdoors, and there was a serene spot midway through the hike where we could take a break and look over Silicon Valley. I definitely surprised her with the proposal, but I'm glad she said yes! -Sean
In the midst of what might have been some of the most stressful months of my PhD while I was attempting to get my first paper accepted and published, Sean invited me to a hike on one Saturday morning. It sounded like the perfect quick getaway from lab to just enjoy nature and his company so I agreed. All throughout our hike, I couldn't help thinking that the hike was so familiar and towards the peak, we found an adorable spot overlooking Portola Valley where I could sit on a swing hanging from an old oak. Sean absolutely left me speechless by getting down on a knee and proposing right then and there. It was intimate and private and the perfect proposal, the same place we had gotten to know each other 4 years prior. -Shizuka
We're so excited for our wedding in San Diego, a place that is special to both of us. Growing up San Diego has been the quick getaway for Arizonans like Shizuka, and Sean, of course, grew up in Del Mar. We are so excited to celebrate with our friends and families who have shaped us into the people we are today and contributed to our union. We are looking forward to the next steps in both our professional and family lives! We can't wait to see you on August 15th!
As the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, we realized that our 2020 was going to be very different than we had envisioned. At the same time, our lives together continued to move forward. We both defended our PhD theses within a month of each other, and graduated from Stanford in Summer 2020.
However, after wrapping up our graduate studies, we didn't move far, electing to stay at Stanford and in the Bay Area! Shizuka started work as a Thinking Matters Fellow, teaching Stanford freshman critical thinking skills as part of a dynamic team of educators. Sean started as a postdoc in Dr. Crystal Mackall's lab, focused on developing technologies to make an emerging cancer immunotherapy, CAR-T therapy, safer and more effective. We are excited to continue exploring the Bay Area for a few more years!
We decided to still make 2020 the year of our official marriage, tying the knot with a virtual ceremony on August 19th, 2020. The day started off with an unexpected hiccup, when a Covid case shut down our local San Mateo County marriage license office, but we were able to quickly scramble and get a same-day license from the wonderful folks in San Benito County!
We were married over Zoom in our backyard, with a handful of local friends in attendance. It was wonderful to be married, and the small celebration was certainly special, but we knew that we still wanted to celebrate our marriage with all of our friends and family in person.
August 15th will mark one year of marriage for us, and we look forward to the ceremony as a renewal of vows, and as a chance to share in our love and celebrate properly with all of you!