Every great love story has its unique code, and computer science teachers Christopher and Amber Roberson have continued to debug life together. As former software engineers, they know that quality assurance is key, both in coding and in marriage.
As Valentine’s Day approaches, the Robersons reflect on their relationship as teachers, coworkers, and partners.
Having attended the same university while pursuing computer science degrees, Christopher admits that when he met Amber, it was love at first sight.
“We met freshman year,” Christopher said. “Through it all, I kind of realized how much we were growing together and how much we kind of helped each other improve on things. I kind of decided I don’t want to be with anybody else but her.”
Since the Robersons work in the same industry and teach the same subjects, students often find it intriguing that their teacher is married to another teacher. Their dual role as both coworkers and partners has made their lives more convenient.
“He’s around the corner and I can just call him if I have any questions,” Amber said. “He has more experience in teaching than I do, so it’s very convenient. My students like to ask additional questions, like ‘How did you guys meet?’ So they’re very prying when they find out that I am married to Chris.”
Amber’s students aren’t the only ones who enjoy this connection. Christopher also likes to stop by her classroom every so often.
“I’m always going to stop in during passing period and drop off a bad joke of mine now and then and move on,” Christopher said. “When I walk out the door, I feel like I don’t really want to leave, but I got a job to do.”
The key to a long and healthy relationship, the Robersons share, is being willing to make sacrifices.
“You have to be willing to sacrifice what you want and focus on making your significant other better,” Christopher said.
“So if it means I have to not catch a game on TV or not get to play my PlayStation, but she gets to relax or she gets to finish something she’s been trying to do. Then I feel happy about that, even though I missed out on what I originally would’ve wanted.”
The Robersons believe that the ups and downs of life are opportunities to grow together, much like the process of maintaining and improving software. Their previous experience in technical roles as software and quality assurance engineers reinforces this perspective.
“The job of a QA engineer is to literally take the work that a software engineer does, review it, test it out, and let them know what’s wrong, what’s weak, what needs to be fixed,” Christopher said. “If that’s not the model of a marriage, then I don’t know what it is. So the thing is great that we have that background and it actually fits the marriage model.”
