A commencement surprise sealed with a kiss
By Bob Thomas FSU College of Medicine
Maxx Harrell’ s vision for the perfect ending to graduation day from the Florida State University College of Medicine would include an affirmative response to a life-changing question, sealed with a kiss.
With the iconic Westcott Fountain providing a most-fitting backdrop, Lexi Michas accepted Harrell’ s marriage proposal; their kiss and celebratory embrace cementing May 16, 2026, as a date that won’ t be forgotten.
“ Graduation was awesome, but it was not the most stressful event of the day,” Harrell said.“ That was trying to make sure that everything went according to plan, and it still got to be a surprise.”
Mission accomplished.
“ I was completely surprised,” said Michas, a thirdyear Medical College of Georgia student at its regional clinical campus in Thomasville, Georgia.“ I was not expecting it to be at his graduation, right there at the fountain when we were taking pictures.”
Not surprised were the couple’ s parents. Both Rick and Linda Lee Harrell and Dr. Andrew Michas and his wife, Francie, were supportive co-conspirators in the surprise plans.
“ When we walked outside [ Westcott Hall ] and I asked Lexi to go find us a good place to take a picture in front of the fountain, I hung back and my mom slipped me the ring.” Maxx explained.“ I put it in my pocket under the robe. … I already had told her dad and mom,‘ Hey, I’ m going to ask you take a picture with us in front of the fountain, one of you is going to have to start messing up with the camera.’ … I’ ll tell Lexi,‘ I need you to go help them, since it’ s your camera.’
“ I will definitely look at Westcott Fountain differently now,” Lexi said.
The couple didn’ t meet until 2024, but they share layered connections to FSU. Harrell and Michas were
That’ s when I sprang into action and got down on one knee, so whenever she turned around, I was there and proposed.
Maxx Harrell, M. D. undergraduates with degrees in exercise physiology and neuroscience, respectively, but never knowingly crossed paths on campus.
“ We’ re walking past each other like every other day based on what our classes were and our schedules were,” Michas said.“ I was trying to think,‘ Did we ever walk past each other?’”
Maxx was a third-year at the Pensacola Regional Campus when they went on their first date; Lexi was visiting her grandmother in Fort Walton Beach, her father’ s hometown. Dr. Michas, a practicing OB / GYN in Albany, Georgia, completed his undergraduate studies at FSU and stayed in Tallahassee as a member of the 1993 Program in Medical Sciences( PIMS) class before completing his M. D. at the University of Florida College of Medicine.
He completed his residency at Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women in Orlando – now Orlando Health Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children and Orlando Health Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies. That’ s the same campus where Harrell will begin his orthopedic surgery residency.
“ That’ s really cool,” said Lexi, who was rooting for Maxx to match in Orlando, where she hopes to join him as a family medicine resident following her 2028 graduation.
FALL 2026 | FSUMED 15