Wedding bells are ringing for some graduating seniors

Senior Liz Paul, 21, grins down at the glistening diamond shining from her ring finger. It's been almost a week since her boyfriend proposed, and she's still grinning from ear to ear. Her eyes light up when she is able to slip the word "fiancé" into a sentence.

Paul's fiancé, Anthony Swierzbinski, 23, graduated last spring and now teaches social studies at Caesar Rodney High School.

Both Paul and Swierzbinski are from Camden, Del. and went to Caesar Rodney High School. They started dating in 2004, right after Anthony's senior prom, and have been together ever since.  

"We had talked about getting engaged before," Paul said. "But I didn't really get the impression it was going to happen as soon as it did. But so what, it happened sooner than expected; I couldn't be happier about it."

Swierzbinski proposed to Paul on Saturday, May 2, at the last track and field meet of the semester. When Paul crossed the finish line, Swierzbinski was waiting with flowers.  When Paul said 'yes', Coach James Fischer fired off the starter's gun six times in celebration.  

"I played it off at first by asking how she felt about the race," he said. "Then I told her, 'Now I am going to embarrass you' and I got down on one knee and proposed."

Swierzbinski said it took him a long time to decide how he would propose.  He knew he didn't want to do something that was cliché. He wanted to have a proposal that would be unique to their relationship, he said.  

"We ran cross country and track again together in high school and I ran the first three years of college for UD," Swierzbinski said. "Running is one of our big passions and brought us together, so I wanted that to be part of the proposal."

Although Swierzbinski said he knew Paul would say yes, he admitted he was still extremely nervous about the proposal.  

The meet was on a Saturday and he barely slept Thursday or Friday, he said.  

"After the swine flu started spreading, I was afraid the meet would be canceled," Swierzbinski said. "My backup plan was to propose either on a run out at White Clay Creek, which we both enjoy, or at a road race in which we both would run. But, fortunately everything worked out the way I wanted."

Swierzbinski and Paul have not set a date for the wedding yet. Swierzbinski said most of the planning will depend on their job situations.

"I am a first-year teacher, which is a very shaky place to be in Delaware with our budget problems," he said. "If I can hold onto the position I have or get another more permanent, we could be married sooner rather than later."

Paul's decision to pursue a master's degree will also cause the wedding plans to be put on hold for a few years. Next year she will be attending the university as a graduate student in the education department.

"We haven't set a date yet," Paul said.  "I'm going to be doing a grad program so it'll probably be a few years before we're married. Right now I'm just enjoying being engaged and letting it all sink in."

For the time being, they will not be living together due to Swierzbinski's religious views, he said.

 Swierzbinski said they are just trying to focus on taking advantage of this time to save money for their future.  

"Everyone is definitely bugging me about plans, especially my students," he said. "When they want to get me off topic, they ask me about getting married."

Paul and Swierzbinski, however, are not the only senior couple to become engaged this semester. A number of graduates are looking to tie the knot with their college sweethearts.  

Senior Matthew Stubbolo, 21, and his fiancee, Senior Danielle Lavoie, 21, of Landsdale, Penn. will be graduating this spring with a degree in biology.  

Stubbolo said the two have been dating for a year and eight months. He proposed March 12, but said he has been planning the proposal since September.  

"There was a candle-lit pathway with rose petals, a dozen heart-shaped balloons with a single rose at the bottom," Stubbolo said. "At each balloon there was a note, with each of these notes describing events throughout our relationship. The very last one said 'look at me' and I proposed to Danielle then."

Although they had discussed the idea of marriage beforehand, it still came as a surprise. Stubbolo said it took Lavoie a few seconds to answer, but she said 'yes' with a huge smile across her face.  

"There was a mixture of emotions all at once," Lavoie said. "I was both so happy and surprised."  

Stubbolo said the two will be married in July 2011 with all of their friends and family present. As for the immediate future, Subbolo and Lavoie will be attending different graduate schools in the fall, with Subbolo at the University of Maryland and Lavoie at the University of Pittsburg.

"We know that the distance will be difficult," Subbolo said. "But we are confident in our feelings for each other, so we don't expect the different schools to have an impact on how we feel for each other."

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