'Ms. White will you marry me?': Teacher stunned by proposal. Students in on surprise.
DOVER — Third-grade teacher Nicole White got the surprise of a lifetime Friday, when she walked into her Garrison Elementary School classroom to find her coworkers, students and her boyfriend waiting for her. It was all part of her elaborate surprise marriage proposal.
Students held balloons, roses, and signs that read "Ms. White will you marry me?" The man she has been seeing for five years, Nick Driscoll, knelt down on one knee, holding up an engagement ring. After White said "yes," the classroom erupted in giddy cheers, tears and excitement.
"I was coming back from a meeting, and someone told me that maintenance needed me in my classroom," White said. "I walked in and I was in shock when I saw the kids holding up the signs 'will you marry me,' then I saw Nick. I am really fortunate to be able to share that special moment in my life with my school family and with my students. They are so important to me. There were certainly a lot of happy tears going around."
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Garrison Elementary Principal Beth Dunton said she had been in on the secret since a month ago, when Driscoll reached out to her to plan the perfect proposal. She said Driscoll "knew how much she loves being a teacher and wanted to include her students in the proposal."
It took a lot of planning, but they were finally able to figure out a "devious plan to pull this off successfully," she joked.
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The meeting White was in beforehand was a distraction to keep her out of the classroom while her students were in music class. The maintenance request was an excuse to lure her back to the classroom once everyone was in place.
"I pulled her into a fake meeting, and our dean of students kept her busy while her fiancé came in and helped set up the classroom," Dunton said. "We got the kids out of music told them about the surprise. The kids were beside themselves with excitement. Everybody came together for the perfect surprise. She said she had no idea. Everyone, especially the kids, were so happy for her. It's very clear how much of a great connection they have with her. It was a privilege to be part of it."
The class celebrated the couple with a toast of sparkling cider, White said.
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"I was completely surprised," White said. "One of the sweetest things was seeing five students each hold a rose, one rose for each year he and I have dated. It was so emotional for me."
White and Driscoll met online five years ago while she was home one summer from teaching abroad in Vienna, Austria. White said they immediately connected because they had many interests in common. Both are adventurous and enjoy playing tennis, traveling and kayaking. The two live in Manchester, but hope to move closer to the Seacoast in the future. White has been a teacher in the Dover district for four years, and Driscoll is a pharmacist.
"I am so excited that I get to marry my best friend and partner in everything," White said. "Today was a truly special day for both of us, and I could not have imagined it any better."
This article originally appeared on Fosters Daily Democrat: Dover, NH teacher surprised by marriage proposal in class
