MEAD, CO (WCMH) – A high school senior received a graduation surprise Saturday.
Carlee Crisler was excited to graduate on Saturday, but the momentous occasion was bittersweet. Her brother, U.S. Army Private 1st Class Christopher Crisler, had just returned to the US from serving in Afghanistan but wouldn’t be able to attend the ceremony – or so Carlee thought.
“Got back from Afghanistan about two weeks ago. My sister knows I’m in the country, but doesn’t know I’m here, so I’m going to give her a little surprise for her graduation,” Christopher told KCNC.
Carlee hadn’t seen Christopher since he was deployed last July. The surprise was three months in the making. Their mother had been planning the surprise all along.
“My sister has always been there for me no matter what, so I wanted to be there for her,” Christopher said.
When it was time for the ceremony, Christopher hid in the school’s choir room, before sneaking into the gymnasium out of sight of the graduating class.
During the ceremony, Carlee was told there was a special surprise waiting for her, reuniting two siblings in the midst of all of the goodbyes that come with graduations
“My hard dropped,” Carlee said. “I was, oh, I was just really happy to see him, that he was home safe. It was hard not seeing him, he’s my big brother.”