A Staten Island woman's dream of getting her master's degree became even more special with a surprise from her boyfriend. NY1's Ruschell Boone filed the following report.

It's a moment Caitlyn Perez thought would happen one day. Just not like this.

Perez got the surprise of her life as she graduated from John Jay College when her boyfriend appeared on stage, got down on one knee and proposed.  

Her boyfriend Nico Torres, who will be a senior at John Jay this fall, had done such a good job keeping this a secret, Perez had no idea why the school's president singled her out and summoned her to stand in front of the crowd. 

"I thought I was going to graduate with honors, and I was like, 'Maybe they made a mistake? So maybe they're giving it to me,'" she said, laughing. "But so much better."

The couple are both transfer students who met four years ago at the school.  They started off as friends, then got closer while she got her bachelor's degree and now a Masters in in Criminal Justice.

Ten months ago they also had a son. Torres says that was when he knew it was time to get married.

"She loves with her whole heart," he said. "Like, she's super caring. You know, the love she has for me is tenfold with my son."

Torres originally wanted to surprise Perez at the foot of the stage after she got her degree, but when he called the school to get approval, they agreed to help make his proposal even more memorable.

As thousands of John Jay students cheered and hooted during the commencement ceremony, Perez sat quietly, nervous about her future. Backstage, her boyfriend was nervous too.

Then, the moment came.

Did it go the way Torres expected?

"That and so much more," he said.

Perez is not the only one who was surprised by the proposal.  Her family was at the graduation.  They were caught off guard. 

For her mother, the engagement is overwhelming.  

"I couldn't even tape it," her mother said. "I was just, like, sobbing. I'm shocked."

No need to worry. It was all caught on camera.