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Southern Miss Grad Student Creates Lasting Love Story

Fri, 09/19/2014 - 02:27pm | By: Nikki Smith

Southern Miss graduate student Jeremy Noble had a special surprise waiting for his then-girlfriend Kellie Stonecypher upon helping her locate a legacy brick purchased by her family (University Communications photo by Van Arnold)

University of Southern Mississippi graduate student Jeremy Noble used the Alumni Association's “Leave a Legacy” program to create a lasting memory for himself and his new bride.

It all started with a brick. Kellie Stonecypher's parents of Saraland, Ala., bought her a brick as part of the “Leave a Legacy” program when she graduated from Southern Miss with a bachelor's degree in exercise science in 2010. However she had never had the opportunity to find it on campus.

The Alumni Association's “Leave a Legacy” program features bricks inscribed for alumni, family and friends along the paved walkway that dissects the Hattiesburg campus.

This is where Jeremy comes in. Jeremy, a Satsuma, Ala., native, and Kellie began dating in 2007 after they met at Southern Miss and were introduced through mutual friends. He decided to take Kellie out for hot chocolate and a stroll through campus one cool night in March 2013.

Little did Kellie know she had not one, but two bricks inscribed in her honor. Placed right next to her graduation brick were the words: “Will You Marry Me?”

“It took about 10 seconds before her eyes scanned around and finally located it,” Jeremy said. “That's when I dropped down on one knee and pulled out the engagement ring. Her reaction was disbelief more than anything else.”

Kellie admits that at first she did not realize what was happening.

“I was thinking, ‘surely this isn't meant for me,' ” she said. “Afterwards I still couldn't believe that he had a brick put down for me. Southern Miss is a really special place for both of us, and I love that we will always have the memory of our engagement there and that brick.”

The couple married quickly due to Jeremy's pre-doctoral internship with the army at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Tacoma, Wash. They were married June 8, 2013, then spent the following four days travelling to Washington.

Jeremy plans to complete his doctoral degree in counseling psychology in December.

“The last year has been great,” Jeremy said. “We're enjoying military lifestyle with our two dogs and are getting ready to relocate again to North Carolina in December.”

To learn more about the Alumni Association's “Leave a Legacy” program, call 601.266.5013 or visit: http://www.southernmissalumni.com