Teacher turns pep rally into marriage proposal

— -- Matt Craven, an eighth-grade science teacher, met Kendall Stiefel, a sixth-grade social studies teacher, at a teacher training nearly two years ago.

When Craven, 26, decided to propose to Stiefel, 24, he knew immediately that the proposal would involve Beck Junior High School, the Katy, Texas, middle school where Craven and Stiefel have taught together for the past two years.

“For this community of Beck administrators, teachers and students, to have them involved was the best thing I could do,” Craven told ABC News.

Craven, who describes himself as a “really outgoing” person, said it was fitting for him to propose to Stiefel in a very public way.

He even asked Beck Junior High principal Carra Daniels to organize a school pep rally as part of the plan.

“I said, ‘I need to make a pep rally happen within two weeks because I wanted to propose before the end of the school year,’” Craven recalled. “She had a big smile on her face and said we could definitely make it happen.”

Craven proposed to Stiefel last Thursday during a school pep rally in which Stiefel thought she had been chosen by students to play a game.

“When they didn’t pick Matt to play the game, I was happy and couldn’t wait to brag that I got picked and he didn’t,” Stiefel said, admitting she was clueless about the proposal.

As a blindfolded Stiefel was playing a fictional game involving red cups, Craven got down on one knee with a ring and proposed.

“When I started the game I had no idea but the screaming didn’t stop and that’s when I knew,” Stiefel said. “I was nervous and excited and frozen.”

Daniels, the school’s principal, said it was the loudest she had ever heard the nearly 1,000 middle school students.

“I’ve never seen pandemonium like that,” she said. “He hit his knee [to propose] and it was absolutely pandemonium.”

Craven said the response from the school’s students, administrators and teachers reaffirmed his decision to propose at the school. The art teacher even made a “Will you marry me?” banner that was held up by the cheerleading squad during the pep rally.

“The kids also made us big posters and everyone in the grade signed them,” he said. “And every kid came up to us the next day and said congratulations, just as happy as can be.”

At the eighth-grade dance the following night, “Kendall and Matt walked in and the entire dance floor cleared,” Daniels said.

Stiefel said she and Craven hope to wed within the next six months. As they plan for a wedding, they are thankful that their future together got off to such a special start.

"To throw a pep rally that is not scheduled is a big deal at a middle school," she said. "We felt so special because everyone went out of their way. We just feel so blessed by that."