Campus Life

Penn State Behrend serves as perfect proposal spot for alumni couple

Penn State Behrend alumnus Jonathan Wolff proposed to his girlfriend of more than three years, fellow alum Marissa Morrissette, this past November in front of the Behrend lion shrine. "I wanted to make it personal, and for us, that meant proposing at (Penn State) Behrend," Wolff said. Credit: Matt Kleck PhotographyAll Rights Reserved.

When Jonathan Wolff decided to propose to Marissa Morrissette, his girlfriend of more than three years, he could think of only one place to pop the question.

“I wanted to make it personal, and for us, that meant proposing at (Penn State) Behrend,” said Wolff, who graduated from the college in 2013.

The two first met in 2012 in a management course at the college. Wolff asked Morrissette to study.

“I just thought, ‘Yay, study partner!’ I didn’t think anything of it,” Morrissette recalled.

Wolff’s intentions were far more deliberate. He wanted a reason to spend time with Morrissette, and the two soon found that they had plenty in common.

They were both members of the Lion Entertainment Board (LEB) and Reality Check, a service-based organization at Penn State Behrend that focuses on helping people on campus, in the local community, and around the country.

As part of Reality Check, the two went to Mission, Texas, that March for Alternative Spring Break, an annual week-long service trip during which students immerse themselves into a community that is different from their own. The pair hit it off during the trip and began dating.

Wolff and Morrissette made several great memories at Penn State Behrend. They traveled to Puerto Rico for Alternative Spring Break in 2013, and they spent dozens of Friday evenings together planning programming for LEB.

“Behrend allowed us to do so much together,” said Morrissette, who graduated from the college in 2014. “We both had a passion for service, and Behrend gave us the opportunities to serve.”

Their affection for the college was further cemented last November when Wolff proposed to Morrissette in front of the lion shrine on campus. While the two had talked about getting married, Wolff took steps to ensure Morrissette did not see the proposal coming. He told her he would be out of town that weekend, so she made plans to have lunch with a friend.

That friend, however, was in on Wolff’s plan. After lunch, she took Morrissette to campus where Wolff had posted clues in various areas, each one leading to the next.

The final clue brought Morrissette to the lion shrine where a laptop was playing a montage of classic moments from Disney films. When the footage ended, Morrissette turned around to see Wolff, who promptly got down on one knee.

“I was crying, and it was perfect. This is the place that brought us together,” Morrissette said.

The two plan to marry on June 3, 2017, in their hometown of Pittsburgh.

Penn State Behrend alumnus Jonathan Wolff proposed to fellow alum Marissa Morrissette on November 22 next to the college's lion shrine. The two plan to marry June 3, 2017, in their hometown of Pittsburgh. Credit: Matt Kleck PhotographyAll Rights Reserved.

Last Updated February 16, 2016

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