HCC staffer makes lasting memory during eclipse
Sep 19, 2017
The Great American Solar Eclipse became an unforgettable experience for Houston Community College (HCC) Southwest College staff member Yessenia Godinez Gonzales in more ways than one. The part-time HCC front desk receptionist at the West Loop Campus got engaged during the moment of totality.
“I was looking up at the eclipse with my protective lenses and when I looked down my boyfriend was on one knee with an engagement ring,”Yessenia said. “I cried.”
Yessenia and Omar Velez have known each other for 13 years and have been dating for three years.
“My engagement is a total surprise to me,” Yessenia said. “I cried because it has been years since we met and I was not expecting it, not anymore.”
Ironically, this bride-to-be, selected the day for her engagement without even realizing it.
“A week before our engagement, Omar asked me what event I found more appealing, the Solar Eclipse or the Renaissance Festival?” she said. “And because I have always been a fan of things that are unusual, I chose the eclipse.”
The couple has set an October date to be married in an intimate wedding ceremony and reception in Houston with their family and friends in attendance. The entire HCC family wishes them a lifetime of happiness as they embark on their new adventure together.