“It’s all about purpose,” SMU junior Michael Pittman said. “I knew that the next girl I got serious with, I wanted to marry.”

Just about one year after he first met Amanda Arismendi in an Art of Acting class at SMU, they became engaged to be married this coming June.

Upon sitting down with the couple, their affection for one another is abundantly clear. Some would say that getting engaged at the young age of 20 is risky or irresponsible, but for he and Arismendi, it felt just right.

“I was upfront in my intentions in our relationship from the very beginning,” Pittman said.

The couple credits their faith with bringing, and keeping, them together. They agree that God has played the biggest role in their union.

“We talked about marriage before we even started officially dating,” Arismendi said. “We both had a clear idea of what we were looking for in this relationship, and after almost a year of dating, marriage seemed like the natural next step.”

The duo has a very strong sense of self, which has carried over into their wedding
planning process.

As tuition paying college students, Michael and Amanda are planning their June 21 wedding in the most economical way possible. Their strict “no alcohol” policy some college students might find archaic, however for them, it was an unnecessary addition to their ceremony.

The soon to be newlyweds also plan on reaching out to those close to them for an extra hand in the planning process.

“It helps to have such a large family,” Pittman said. “Someone always knows someone who can help out, whether it be with the cake, flowers
or whatever.”

For being so young, these two certainly have “purpose.” Pittman and Arismendi’s relationship has not only taken SMU by storm, but the world.

Pittman regularly blogs about his experience as an engaged college student, and the blog has had over 800,000 hits and has been viewed by people in over 200 different countries. Arismendi too, has started a blog, her first post bears the title “Amanda,
in Love.”

In addition, the couple also regularly posts videos on YouTube offering relationship advice to others.

“They have a deep passion to give hope and encouragements to others in relationships, something I know will only continue to get even stronger after they get married,” said Tyler Scott, a close friend of the couple.

Post-marriage, the Pittmans will live in apartment style dorms on campus together, before graduating next May.