The Final Rose
How The Bachelor brought two Griffins together
by Joaquin Mixco (’14, MPC ’16)
Jamison (Jamo) Amonino (’15), of Pleasanton, California, selected Westminster College because of the school’s lacrosse team, flight school, and ROTC program. Westminster was a place he could pursue all of his passions.
For Sadie Young (’14), of Salt Lake City, it was important to receive an education while playing soccer and experiencing travel abroad. Westminster offered a world-class education close to home.
Both were first-year students in 2010. Jamo first noticed Sadie in line at Shaw. He tried his best to make conversation, but there was no spark.
During sophomore year, a teammate of Sadie and mutual friend of Jamo helped change their lives by introducing them at a weekend barbecue, and their relationship kicked off in January 2014.
An ingredient in compatibility is shared interests. Both Sadie and Jamo are outdoorsy and physically active. Both love animals and regard obstacles in life as challenges to overcome. Sometimes, it’s simple things that bring a couple close together. In their case, it was nights of watching The Bachelor reality series.
At first, Jamo was not a fan of the show. “I became hooked because of the comical situations the contestants would get themselves into,” Jamo explains. “There was no way you could not laugh.”
The show was a lighthearted, almost fanciful approach to love. However, it seemed to reassure Sadie and Jamo that people struggle with doubts and concerns, but the best choice is to follow your heart.
After Jamison completed his degree and Officer Candidate School for the Marine Corps, he moved back to California to be with his family before he commissioned into the Marine Corps in July of 2016. Sadie and Jamo spent most of 2015 flying between Salt Lake and Pleasanton to be together. When they weren’t together, they were connected by phone.
Jamo soon realized he wanted to propose before he shipped off to basic training. Sadie and Jamo registered for a Tough Mudder endurance race in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. And taking a cue from his TV examples, Jamo followed his heart and proposed to Sadie on June 11, 2016, in front of an admiring crowd.
On The Bachelor, roses are given out to contestants who are potential love interests. The last rose is offered as a form of proposing. On December 28, 2016, Jamo asked Sadie to accept his final rose at their marriage ceremony.
After the wedding, distance was still a challenge. Sadie recently finished her master’s in social work and has moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, where Jamo continues his training to become a Marine combat pilot. For now, they are happy to be living in the same city again and are looking forward to doing some of the simpler things as a couple—like watching an episode of The Bachelor together.
About the Westminster Review
The Westminster Review is Westminster University’s bi-annual alumni magazine that is distributed to alumni and community members. Each issue aims to keep alumni updated on campus current events and highlights the accomplishments of current students, professors, and Westminster alum.
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