A woman who got engaged when she was just 16 has revealed the amazing reason she chose to make the life-changing decision at such a young age.
American real estate investor and entrepreneur Ava Yuergens got engaged to her boyfriend of a year, Ben Otto, when she was just 16 years old.
The young woman, now 17, took to TikTok and YouTube to answer questions about why she got engaged at an age considered too young, after being afraid to speak out about it.
“I was afraid to tell people, which sounds pathetic because it is, because it’s nothing to be ashamed of,” he said.
“A lot of people wonder why we got engaged and I just haven’t been able to say.”
While Miss Yuergens provided five reasons why she and her now-fiancé decided to get married, one response divided followers and sparked a flood of comments on the TikTok video, which has just under 1 million views.
“It’s not a big deal at all … but basically Ben and I own a real estate investment company,” he said, also explaining how the couple formed the business when they were just 15 years old.
“Ben is not only my best friend and lover, he is also my business partner. I have a very entrepreneurial mindset and so does he, and I’ve never met someone so similar.”
“In high school we were already making tens of thousands of dollars together and buying real estate together.”
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“It’s (the engagement) because we both not only work really well together as business partners, but we’re also super compatible as a couple, and that’s one of the reasons we got engaged,” he said in a separate YouTube video about the engagement. proposal. .
The Wisconsin teen is a strong advocate of “doing things young” and is driven by the success of her business and a desire to add to her existing businesses.
“Age is just a number and you can literally do anything with your life,” Ms. Yuergens said, revealing that she would be skipping college to devote her time to her two businesses.
Ms Yuergens stressed that the couple’s relationship “isn’t just about business” but that it is something they have in common that “drives” them to be together and that the engagement “wasn’t impulsive.”
“This was done for all the right reasons, it is my life and I am happy and I can say with confidence that it is the right decision,” he said.
The young businesswoman’s announcement and reason for the engagement were met with a mixed response.
“I was very hesitant about posting this video because I know there will be some hate,” he said. “I know that many of you disagree with our choices and that is totally fine.
“People either love it or hate it.”
The teenage couple’s marriage was “blessed” by both parents, who, according to Miss Yuergens, “reached a communal agreement that they agree.”
“My inner circle wasn’t really surprised, they expected it, if they didn’t expect it, they were just happy for me,” he said.
“Many people outside of my inner circle were shocked or judged.”
The couple said they plan to officially marry in the summer after their senior year.
Relationship psychologist Rachel Voysey said it was common for couples to have joint ventures and that it could actually be beneficial to the strength and longevity of the relationship.
“It’s (having a business) like having a child together, you’re so invested in it,” he said.
“It probably means that they have developed that ability to work together, solve problems and communicate. If they can do that together and have developed that negotiating skills, it gives them more confidence to compromise.”
The dating and marriage expert said she was seeing fewer couples getting engaged in their teens or early life than ever before.
“People feel like they should develop more self-awareness, have more experiences,” he said.
“I’ve seen it work, childhood sweethearts work, first loves can work for a long time, but I still think there’s a bit of a stigma. People still need to explain and qualify their choice.”
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