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N.J. Recruit Accepts Marriage Proposal at Academy Graduation

After she received her Mercer County (N.J.) Police Academy graduation certificate, Brittney Fornarotto's correction officer boyfriend dropped down on one knee and asked her to marry him before sliding a diamond ring on her finger.

February 17, 2015
2 min to read


After her brother presented her Mercer County (N.J.) Police Academy graduation certificate, Brittney Fornarotto stood with her family on the snow-covered lawn outside Kendall Hall at The College of New Jersey on Friday to pose for a photo.

But Fornarotto's smile suddenly turned to a puzzled look when her boyfriend Matt Commiso led her in front of the group, dropped down on one knee, and asked Fornarotto to marry him before sliding a diamond ring on her finger, reports NJ.com.

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"In 10 years, I want to remember and tell our kids about this moment," said Commiso, a Mercer County correction officer. "Will you marry me?"

As tears fell from her eyes, Fornarotto accepted his proposal on the eve of Valentine's Day.

"Oh my goodness! I love it," she said, holding out her left hand and marveling at her engagement ring. "I'm in shock. I had no idea. Everyone joked about it because I talk about him so much in the academy, because every sentence is like, 'Well, Matt and I...'"

Fornarotto, who will become a Ewing Township police officer, was among the 80 officers eligible to graduate after training for 21 weeks.

The couple has been dating for two years and live together in Ewing with their 1-year-old German shepherd named Phoenix. Commiso and Fornarotto planned to adopt a puppy on Valentine's Day, they said.

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