Brian Balba first saw Trini Tran across the auditorium at Cizik School of Nursing at UTHealth Houston. He invited her to join an intramural flag football team, and before the semester was out, they had pooled their Christmas and birthday money for their first date.

Now married with a five-month-old daughter, Nova, both are family nurse practitioners (FNPs) working toward starting their own elder care business. It’s a natural progression for a couple who met in nursing school and bonded over experiences caring for older family members.

“Growing up with immigrant parents who faced language barriers, they often relied on me to help navigate their medical needs,” Tran said. “As I grew older, I found myself learning about the various health conditions they faced, reading up on treatments, and even managing doctor appointments. This experience pushed me to pursue a career in health care.”

Balba and Tran chose the accelerated Pacesetter Bachelor of Science in Nursing program at Cizik School of Nursing because they wanted to get started in their careers as quickly as possible, and because they know how much local employers value a degree from the school.

The couple spent a lot of time together in study groups and benefited from complimentary skills. “I wasn't the best student or note taker, but I could pick up concepts relatively easily,” Balba said. “She, on the other hand, took many notes and sat in on all of the lectures.”

The 2016 alumni started their nursing careers in hospitals – Tran in a suburban emergency room and Balba in a post-op surgery unit in the Texas Medical Center. Working long hours and often different shifts in emotionally taxing situations wasn’t easy, but the couple knew how to support one another as nurses and made a point of planning time off together.

Eventually, both earned Master of Science in Nursing degrees. Tran now works as an FNP in an endocrinology clinic, and Balba works in telehealth for a functional health company.

Six years after they began dating, Balba pulled off an adventurous and elaborate proposal.

Tran loves the K-pop group BTS and traveled to Los Angeles to see back-to-back shows. Meanwhile, Balba was finishing up a three-week backpacking trip in Europe with his brother. Instead of meeting her back home in Houston as expected, Balba flew from Germany to LA a day early. He plotted with Tran’s friends to surprise her with an engagement ring after the second concert.

By contrast, the couple kept their wedding small and simple, exchanging vows in a park with a few close family members and friends. The money they saved went toward a downpayment on a house near the TMC, where they welcomed baby Nova in September.

“As seasoned nurses now, the benefits include staying calm in new situations, like having a baby!” Balba said.

Both agree that good communication and working together toward common and individual goals have strengthened their relationship.

To others who find themselves falling in love with a classmate in addition to the field of nursing, Balba advises against becoming too focused on just your romantic partner.

“Branching out and making new connections with people who share similar goals and mindsets makes school much easier,” he said. “I met three of my closest friends in nursing school, and that actually made it a lot of fun.”