A couple are celebrating getting engaged just minutes after they both graduated from Swansea University.
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On Monday 22 July, childhood sweethearts Akeem Halimi and Natalie Hughes, both 21, graduated – Akeem with a 2:1 in Medical Biochemistry, and Natalie with a 2:1 in Applied Medical Sciences.
The couple, who’ve been together for five years since they were both pupils at Bishop Vaughan Catholic School, were surrounded by their friends and family when Akeem popped the question after their graduation ceremony.
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Akeem from Morriston said: “I’d been planning on asking Natalie to marry me for a while. We’ve recently been on holiday to Kos in Greece, and while we were there I was in regular contact with my friends who were helping me to organise the proposal. It was mainly practical things like how to make sure we were all in the right spot at the right time, and my brothers even introduced certain keywords to help move us along and into position. I was also incredibly nervous, but thankfully they all helped calm my nerves.
“The reason I chose to propose during graduation was because it meant that both our families would be present, but also because I think it was the perfect way to finish our separate undergraduate degrees.
“Natalie had absolutely no idea, and was quite overwhelmed. She said ‘yes’ instantly, and let out a few tears.”
Natalie said: “I couldn’t quite believe what was happening, it was very unexpected but in the best way possible! I of course said yes immediately! It’s definitely a day I’ll never ever forget!”
The couple will be returning to Swansea University in September to start their Graduate Entry Medicine course. In future, Natalie from Clydach hopes to become a GP, while Akeem would like to be a hospital consultant.
Akeem added: “We haven’t set a date or anything yet. It’s all been such a whirlwind since our engagement, so we just need to sit down and have a chat about it first.”
