Derek proposed on August 12, 2023, at Mayfield Nature Preserve (a peacock sanctuary in Austin), with his grandmother’s ring.

He and Emily spent the rest of the day FaceTiming, calling, texting, and celebrating with family and friends.

Emily’s mother, Jocelyn, and Derek’s parents, Mari and Palmer, met up in Austin to celebrate the engagement with the couple’s friends from UT and others who live nearby. It was a wonderful party at the home of Evan Cree Gee and Neco Donohue.

In April 2024, Jake (Derek’s uncle) and his wife, Phyllis, hosted a lovely Mascotte family dinner in Austin in celebration of Derek and Emily’s engagement. As it turned out, the couple had even more to celebrate: Emily had received a tenure-track job offer from LSU earlier that week, and Derek had finished his dissertation proposal.