Jessie Butner didn’t anticipate on falling in love when she exchanged phone numbers with Jordan Butner during her second year at Piedmont Community College (PCC) as a Career and College Promise (CCP) student.
Having been homeschooled and still getting acclimated to the college environment, Jessie was simply looking for someone to study with. When she noticed a guy she shared three classes with, she figured he would be the perfect study partner.
“I said yes, because I wanted to get good grades, but I also thought she was cute,” Jordan Butner said.
“We talked a lot and got to know each other and we would hang out in the JAR in the library in between classes doing our homework,” Jessie said. “We became really fast friends.”
Jordan recalled their initial conversations and how he was intrigued by her unique perspective on life, creativity and learning. He said that she quickly broadened his horizons and he wanted that to keep happening.
“I was very impressed with him, too,” Jessie said. “I thought he was really cute and from the beginning he always tried to make me laugh. He checked all the boxes for me.”
After the pair graduated from PCC, Jessie with an associate in arts degree and Jordan with an associate in science degree, they both attended Appalachian State University. Jessie majored in art history with a minor in English and Jordan majored in social studies education. At ASU, they continued to grow close and spend as much time together as possible.
During their senior year, Jordan proposed to Jessie on Halloween near a waterfall. Jessie had no hesitation saying yes.
“It was really nice and it seemed like everything else just melted away and we were really the only two people in the world,” Jessie said.
Jessie and Jordan got married on May 14, 2022 and have called Roxboro home ever since. Jessie is now a staff writer at The Courier Times and Jordan is a social studies teacher at Roxboro Community School.
Reflecting back on their time at PCC, the Butners are grateful for many reasons, professional and personal.
“PCC offers a good foundation for people between high school and college in a way that you’re not necessarily going to get if you jump straight into a four-year school,” Jordan said. “There’s such a wide variety of educators and professionals here that you can learn from. I think all you’ve got to do is be willing to learn more than just the content or the skill from them, and you’ll see a benefit professionally.”
“In a hometown environment, being able to live at home during my schooling here really helped get me adjusted to the point that I needed to be in order to thrive at a university, which I was able to do,” Jessie said. “Not to mention, I saved a lot of money.”
Personally, Jessie and Jordan are grateful to PCC for bringing them together.
“If someone asks you to study, say yes,” Jordan said.
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