Something in the air shifted in the spring of ‘95 in an Introduction to Corrections course, almost as if fate nudged two former Marshall students together.
Lieutenant Scott Ballou said at first glance of Stephanie Ballou, the director of accessibility and accommodation services for Student Affairs, he knew she was the one.
“I looked at my buddy sitting next to me, and when she walked in, I went, ‘There’s my wife,’” Scott said. “He said, ‘You’re an idiot,’ and I told him, ‘No, really, that’s my wife.’”
Similarly, Stephanie said she had a similar instant connection on that first day of class.
“Our instructor had everyone stand up and do normal class introductions,” Stephanie said. “When Scott stood up and said he was from Daytona Beach, Florida, I looked at my friend and said, ‘Well, I could move to Florida.’”
Scott said once he got the courage and timing to ask Stephanie out, everything else fell into place.
Those early days of dating included late-night visits to Stephanie on her shifts at the local Outback Steakhouse, baseball games and movie dates. More specifically, the couple said their anniversary dates remain special to them.
“One anniversary, I took Stephanie back to Smith Hall in the class where we met,” Scott said. “I think I had flowers for her, and I just tried to make it special.”
More than just dating, their love story unfolded across countless destinations as the pair traveled together.
“I took her to her first NASCAR experience at the Daytona International Speedway at the Pepsi 400,” Scott said. “We camped with all my buddies and my brother, but it rained.”
Similarly, Stephanie said, “There was just intense flooding in the infield, and I remember the tent flooding, but it was a lot of fun back then.”
Fast forward to today, and their adventures as a duo have grown into family travels with their two kids in tow.
“Since our kids were born, we’ve always taken them with us,” Stephanie said. “We went on a cruise with our kids, and they’re just fun kids, so it’s a great time spent together.”
As for the day-to-day, the couple said they find joy in the controlled chaos of balancing each other’s work lives and their children’s hectic sports schedules — a success that Scott attributes to Stephanie.
“She is really good at her job, but also really good at keeping everything controlled at the house,” Scott said. “It’s super important for our kids to have that strong parent foundation, and she’s just the rock.”
Likewise, Stephanie said she admires Scott’s deep commitment to his family, passion for coaching baseball and his work empowering women through teaching self-defense at the university.
“He’s very involved, and the kids enjoy how involved he is,” Stephanie said. “He’s very passionate about baseball, but also his kids and his work.”
From a chance meeting in a college classroom to now becoming life partners, the couple said they plan to continue watching their children grow up and nurturing their own relationship as the years go by.
Kaitlyn Fleming can be contacted at [email protected].
