2016 Alums' Surprise Engagement at SFHS

Jamie Lavigueur
Molly Doran ’16 and Mike Mayor ’16 first met in Religion class at St. Francis High School during their sophomore year. This summer, they returned to the halls of the school for what Molly thought was an errand but turned out to be a day that would change their lives.

Mike took her to the locker they shared their senior year, got down on one knee, and proposed. (She said yes!)
The two have been together for almost nine years since their first date when Molly picked up Mike from SFHS basketball camp and they went to Subway.

“I always thought Mike was really cute so I would try to talk to him, but he always just reached out about homework,” Molly said.

“I’m so shy to this day,” Mike said, “Someone told me she was interested, otherwise I’m not sure if I would’ve built up the courage to ask her out.”

They continued dating through high school and college – successfully maintaining a long-distance relationship for four years. They then both went to graduate school at the University of Notre Dame, Molly for accounting and Mike for business analytics. Today, Molly is a tax accountant for Ernst & Young in Chicago and Mike works as a data analyst at Medline in Northfield.

Mike knew he wanted the proposal to feel meaningful so he reached out to SFHS Dean Dan Holleman and asked if he could have access to the school on a Friday night.

“He was so gracious and willing to be involved,” Mike said. “It wouldn’t have been possible without him.”
Mike is the oldest of five siblings and his youngest brother recently graduated from SFHS. He told Molly he needed to pick something up for his brother and asked if she would come in the school with him to get it.

“She said it was too hot to get out of the car,” Mike remembered, laughing. “So there was a little struggle there.”

Molly confirmed she was completely surprised.

“It wasn’t until I saw rose petals leading up to the locker that I started realizing what was happening,” she said. Mike had been there earlier in the day with their families to decorate. Following the proposal, their families joined them in a nearby classroom and they all took pictures together.

“The reason I came to St. Francis is because of reasons like this,” Mike said. “Everyone is always willing to help and there are so many personal connections. It’s stayed constant even since we graduated, and it made the day so special for us.”

Mike and Molly are set to marry in September 2024 at St. Michael Catholic Church in Wheaton.

This story was featured in our Fall 2023 issue of Focus Magazine. Read the full issue here. 

    • Molly Doran ’16 and Mike Mayor ’16 at graduation (top left) and before and after their engagement at SFHS this summer.

St. Francis High School

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