Nate Jackson, BA ’05 (electronic media production), MEd ’22 (curriculum and teaching) and
Rayna Jackson, BA ’04 (romance languages)
As told by Nate Jackson.
This story starts off with a drop-dead gorgeous, college freshman girl who caught the eye of just about every guy who walked past her. She had natural long eyelashes, dimples in both cheeks, a radiant smile, and an unforgettable face. Her name? Rayna. Ahhh . . . the name itself is beautiful. It means queen!
Rayna arrived at the University of Oregon in the year 2000, with a focused mindset: get straight 'A' grades, get involved in student groups, graduate with honors, and one day, become a world ambassador. Rayna hung out with her church friends and volunteered at a senior citizen community center. Rayna was not your regular kind of a girl. She was truly one-of-a-kind.
Now . . . meet Nate Jackson. One could say he was the complete opposite of Rayna. He arrived at the university with only two things on his mind: "get good enough grades to graduate" and "meet as many girls as possible!" Nate had built a reputation for being a "party animal." He filled rooms with his charisma, he was funny, and he found himself as the center of attention in almost every social situation. Nate was the guy most girls loved to hang out with, but he was NOT the guy to bring home to meet mom and dad.
As fate, or destiny, or God would have it, the two met for the first time at a university dance. The DJ played the best music, snacks and beverages were neatly placed on tables, and on the dance floor stood Rayna and her six girlfriends. Nate was also on the dance floor, dancing inappropriately, while a crowd of 20 college students encircled him, cheering him on.
Moments later, the DJ played a popular song from the late ’90s, titled "Thong Song" by a singer named Sisqó. It was at that moment, Nate locked eyes with Rayna to seize his opportunity. Mistake #1: Do not ask a girl out with the "Thong Song" playing in the background. Rayna declined his advance. The night ended, and it would be many months before the two would meet again.
Fast forward five months. Nate applied for an on-campus telemarketing job and was hired immediately. To his surprise, he spotted the girl from the dance, working in an office. Except this time, lights were bright in the work setting, and he became entranced by her beauty. It was Rayna. She was one of the managers and also Nate's "superior." A Job title was NOT going to discourage Nate from developing a massive crush on Rayna. For an entire year, the two worked near each other, but kept a professional work relationship, until Nate's last few weeks on the job before he'd eventually quit. He approached her and asked "Hey Rayna, wanna hang out sometime?" She nicely responded "no, thank you.” REJECTED! Mistake #2: Don't ask your boss out on a date while you're at work!
Nate finished his last day of work, and the two would not see each other again until after college. Rayna and Nate graduated. Rayna would get a job working as an administrative assistant, and Nate went on to become a travel show, television presenter in Los Angeles.
Through mutual friends, Rayna was able to get Nate's phone number. He finally matured, and the two were able to have intellectual conversations, as they discussed life goals. They were starting to connect on a much deeper level. They shared laughs together, chat messages, video calls via their laptops, and each conversation lasted one to two hours! Rayna really felt an emotional connection that was undeniable. Finally, she started to let her guard down and allowed her heart to go toward Nate. She called him more frequently, until abruptly, Nate stopped returning her calls. Rayna backed away from their potential relationship. Mistake #3: Don't leave a beautiful girl waiting for you. If you wait too long, she can easily find someone else.
A love story that was so close to happening, took a dramatic turn. Rayna started dating other guys, and Nate continued to date other girls. After about two years of Nate's reckless dating, he had a dream about Rayna. In this dream, he saw himself marrying her.
Nate picked up the phone, and with great determination, pursued Rayna. He returned every call, wrote her letters, sang to her, made her laugh, and spent much of his efforts convincing her that they were meant to be. They dated for only a year. Nate proposed, and Rayna said "yes." Eleven years and two kids later, the two remain happily married.
Nate made many mistakes throughout his pursuit of Rayna, but the one mistake he didn't make was marrying the most beautiful girl he had ever known.