Collegiate Times

English instructors Stephen and Jennifer Mooney met when they were undergraduate students at University of Virginia's College at Wise and have been inseparable since. After graduating, both worked as newspaper reporters and then went back to graduate school, eventually becoming instructors.

Sept. 24 will not only mark Stephen and Jennifer's 26th year of marriage, but it will also mark the 26th year they have worked together under the same employer.

They describe themselves as individuals, but they say they bring out the best in one another when working.

Stephen said many couples would be hesitant working together for the fear of seeing each other too much.

"We are not together all the time; there is a lot of separation," said Stephen. "We have different schedules on different days, and both of us as individuals are doing our own particular thing. But it's nice to be able to ride in together, ride home together ... have lunch together if we have the chance."

Despite sharing a workplace, they've always had their own space - whether separated by a wall or by having offices a floor above each other. This allows them to maintain their own distinctive personalities and not be just part of a pair, Jennifer said.

Another quality that has helped their relationship work well is the fact that they do not have children.

"Kids do bring a certain kind of tension when both partners are working," Jennifer said. "Not having kids has enabled us to not have friction (in) the workplace."

She said she doesn't regret not having children.

Michele and Eric Lewis are another Virginia Tech faculty couple who have been married for 20 years and found success in balancing work, marriage and children.

Michele also finds herself and her husband to be lucky in that they have flexible schedules for their kids. She teaches Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays while Eric works Tuesdays and Thursdays.

This allows at least one of them to be available for their children each day.

 They find that their differences are what make their relationship work so well.

"I'm definitely more of a Type A, organized kind of person ... a little less that way after having children, but it's the nature of my field. ... Eric is more patient than I am ... definitely more laid-back and lets things go," said Michele Lewis, an adjunct professor in human, nutrition, food and exercise.

Michele teaches Introduction to HNFE, and her husband is a professor in the Department of Philosophy.

The Lewis' started out on different paths and moved from Wyoming to Roanoke to Blacksburg throughout their marriage.

In Wyoming, Michele worked as a preschool teacher and Eric as a flight instructor.

They both moved to Virginia where both attended graduate school at Tech - Michele in nutrition and Eric in philosophy.

Eric Lewis had no previous intentions of working in a university, however, when he heard about the new master's program starting up for philosophy, he didn't hesitate to sign up.

Michele had been working as a dietician in Roanoke. She then taught at Radford University for seven years before she was offered a job at Tech.

Academia was what brought this couple together, and they find it enjoyable that they can bounce ideas off one another, Eric said.

Money is the most commonly debated issue in a relationship, said Michele, but it has never been a factor that has driven them out of their work environment.

Both Michele and Eric are part-time professors, but they say it works for them.

One hardship they do face is that health insurance is not part of the benefits provided by their jobs, but it is something they can manage, Michele said.

The Mooneys make equal amounts and said their incomes have never caused any tension between them.

When it comes to promotions, spouses have to be supportive of one another, Jennifer Mooney said.

While some couples might be hesitant to share a workspace, Stephen Mooney said it's worth it.

"Take advantage of an ability to be close with the person that you love the most," he said, "because at least 90 percent of all the other working people around you - they don't have this opportunity."