The commencement season at UA campuses is always a special time for students, but Kenai Peninsula College graduate Heather Morning had even more reason to celebrate earlier this month.

Her boyfriend of seven years, Scott Anderson, used KPC’s commencement ceremony on May 5, 2009 as a backdrop for a surprise marriage proposal.

Anderson approached Susan Lee, KPC’s Graduation Committee chair, during a barbecue and asked permission for the unusual request. Lee, a self-described “hopeless romantic,” quickly agreed to the plan.

During rehearsal it was arranged that Morning, who was to receive a bachelor’s degree in Psychology, would be last to walk across the stage. After the event, she said she wondered why she was last in line– she thought she was in trouble!

Anderson was nervous and excited when he met with Lee before commencement. He was set up with a wireless mic and they waited to enact their plan. While Morning was standing in the alcove, preparing to receive her diploma, Anderson was able to sneak on stage. He was provided with a robe so he would blend in with the other guests on stage and waited, last in a line of dignitaries, to shake her hand.

Surprised, Morning hid a smile behind her diploma. Anderson dropped to one knee, took her hand, and asked her to marry him in front of the entire commencement crowd. She answered ‘yes,’ and to a round of applause and the clicking of cameras, the happy couple sealed it with a kiss.

Lee said that the couple was “positively glowing” after the graduation reception, when they sought her out to thank her for allowing Anderson to propose in such a memorable way.

Thanks to Suzie Kendrick at KPC Advancement for providing this information to the SW Voice. And congratulations to the happy couple from the Statewide staff of the University of Alaska!

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