Congratulations to Tiya L. McIver, 37, and Hiram Will Mega Ashantee, 39, known to most as “Will Mega” on their recent engagement.

Tiya works as a real estate professional and Will is the dean of students at Walter D. Palmer Charter High School. He is also a political activist.

Tiya holds a master’s degree in organizational dynamics from the University of Pennsylvania and Will earned a master of human services degree from Lincoln University. The loving couple first met as students at West Catholic High School 22 years ago when the school became co-ed. The year was 1990. Tiya was an auspicious sophomore and Will was a senior and varsity basketball captain.

Tiya and Will crossed paths again in 2004 and exchanged pleasantries and a few flirtatious winks. They were so focused on their career pursuits that they lost contact after a few brief telephone conversations.

Their interest was rekindled after a chance encounter while Will was on the campaign trail running for state representative. Will recalls, “I walked into the nail salon in a sea full of women and our eyes connected. We smiled and greeted one another. I asked Tiya three questions. Her answers confirmed the energy I felt. She took weeks to return my calls and text messages, but once she did, our conversations only affirmed my feelings. We agreed to go on a date. Our first date was at Flare, a restaurant located in the Art Museum area, where Tiya arrived over one and a half hours late, but I patiently waited.”

Patience is a virtue, and the energy between this couple was so terrific that it led up to this very special proposal shared by Tiya.

“Will woke me up at 1:45 a.m. claiming he wasn’t feeling well. He asked me to make him some tea. When I went into the kitchen, he began to sing along with Prince’s edgy love-professing song, ‘Kiss’ as it played in the backdrop on the Bose surround sound unit. We danced, and he dipped me, kissed me and pulled out a beautiful diamond ring, and posed the question. I cried tears of joy as my head dropped to his chest and I whispered, ‘Yes, I will marry you.’”

Stay tuned for the continuing love story of Will and Tiya!