by Hailey Entze, DSU Heritage Foundation Student Worker
“And I knew exactly what to do. But in a much more real sense, I had no idea what to do.” – Michael Scott
Nothing describes the average college student trying to navigate the waters of the college dating pool better than this quote from the former hit sitcom, The Office. However, for Afton Garland and Sam Bisson, it wasn’t that complicated. The pair knew each other from their jobs as a lifeguard and front desk worker respectively at the West River Community Center. They were also both involved in CRU and the Theodore Roosevelt Honors Leadership Program.
One afternoon, Afton was walking home from a CRU meeting when Sam drove past and asked if she needed a ride. While it was only half a block, Afton accepted and they talked about CRU for a bit before Sam asked if she wanted to come watch some of his fall baseball games. “From there we continued to talk and get to know each other,” Afton said.
“Well, it’s love at first sight. Actually, it was…no, it was when I heard her voice. It was love at first see with my ears.” – Michael Scott
Unlike this quote, Afton and Sam both said that in their case it wasn’t love at first sight. Though, Afton stated that she was attracted to him right away and love wasn’t too far away. Sam agreed it didn’t take long for him to realize he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
If it wasn’t love at first sight, what was it then? They both said what most attracted them to each other was their faith. “One of the biggest attractions was his faith and his passion to grow in his faith. That definitely made me want to get to know him better,” explained Afton. From there their personalities, interests, and beliefs continued to align. “She was very athletic and competitive which I loved right away,” Sam stated.
For their first date, Afton and Sam went out for ice cream and enjoyed it under the stars at the park next to campus *insert ahhhhh’s here*. They ended the night by watching reruns of The Office.
“I love this woman!” – Michael Scott
After nine months of dating Sam came up with the picture-perfect proposal. Afton was going to nursing school in Washington at the time and he was back home in Livingston, MT, for summer break. One weekend they decided to meet each other half way in Coeur d’Alene, ID. While there, they watched a semi-pro baseball game, went to Taste of Coeur d’Alene, and relaxed on the beach. One night they got dressed up for dinner at one of the lakeside restaurants. After dinner they went for a sunset walk by the beach where Sam asked a nearby couple if they could take a picture for him with Afton. Little did Afton know that Sam had told them that he was about to propose and asked if they would capture the moment.
“Before I knew what was going on, he was down on one knee proposing,” Afton said. To top it all off, once it got dark there happened to be fireworks over the lake. They became Mr. and Mrs. Bisson on June 15, 2013, in Afton’s hometown of Sidney, MT.
“I want people to be afraid of how much they love me.” –Michael Scott
The Bissons say that the biggest factor in having such a strong marriage today is that it’s built on the foundation of Christ. “We have built our marriage with love, trust, respect, and faith. Life comes with challenges, but knowing we have each other and can be open and honest with each other makes our marriage stronger each day,” stated Afton. They also make sure to set time aside for each other every week.
“When you’re a kid, you assume your parents are soulmates. My kids are gonna be right about that.” – Pam Beesly
Sam and Afton now live in Apple Valley, MN, a suburb of the Twin Cities. Afton is a registered nurse in a hospital’s emergency room and Sam is a chiropractic student at Northwestern Health Sciences University. They have two boys, Griffin (2) and Paxton (1 month), along with a dog named Bolt. Their love for each other is stronger than ever. “Afton is my entire world,” Sam said. Afton followed that up with, “I am so thankful to have him by my side every day. I can’t imagine doing life without him and his love and support. I love him more than I can describe.”
Even though they’ve moved on from Dickinson State, they still look back on their time here together fondly. “Not only did I meet Sam during my time there, but I made lifelong friends. I had a great education and was able to experience many different opportunities that I probably wouldn’t have gotten at other schools. I think of Dickinson State as a second home,” Afton explained. Sam commented that DSU allowed him to meet amazing people and instilled in him values that he continues to hold onto today. “DSU was the first chapter in our exciting love story,” Sam said. “Afton is my entire world. I cannot imagine a life without here and our boys. She is my support system, my best friend, and the most amazing woman I know. I feel absolutely blessed that I met her at Dickinson State.”
Just like The Office characters of Jim Halpert and Pam Beesly, there is no doubt that Afton and Sam Bisson are soulmates.
