Even as they built their own lives on Marshall’s campus, one faculty member of Marshall’s English Department said she hoped her career would one day intersect with that of a fellow faculty member.
Mindy Allenger, associate professor for the College of Education and Professional Development, said after seeing Michael Prewitt, the dean of the College of Health Professions, at a few meetings, she was instantly struck by him.
“He’s got beautiful blue eyes, a calm demeanor and always had insightful contributions to meetings,” Allenger said. “I had told a couple of people that I work with, ‘I’d really like to meet Dean Prewitt.’”
When Allenger wasn’t admiring Prewitt at meetings, she said she would often run into him serendipitously at the pair’s favorite spots, like The Wild Ramp, Cicada Books and Coffee or local antique stores.
“My usual routine was to go down there (Cicada Books) on Sundays and read the paper and have coffee,” Prewitt said. “Then one day, Mindy came in, and everything kind of happened from there.”
Rather than taking it slow, the pair said their bond strengthened quickly as they faced major life moments together and savored the simple ones.
“His mother had passed, and he was flying down to Texas to help his dad move and conduct funeral arrangements,” Allenger said. “We had a lot of phone conversations, text messages, FaceTime calls, and we really got to know each other.”
Soon after Prewitt returned, he and Allenger planned a slew of trips. The couple said they have traveled to Denver, Vegas, Florida and Hawaii, and they were married in Turks and Caicos.
“There was hardly anybody there, and it felt like our own resort,” Prewitt said. “It was really nice because they took care of almost everything, so we really got to soak it in and enjoy it.”
When the couple isn’t traveling, Prewitt and Allenger said they particularly enjoy good cuisine at local restaurants or in their own, even more local, kitchen.
“We both love Huntington, and we are probably downtown three days a week,” Allenger said.
One spot the couple loves to visit is the 21 Club at the Frederick, fittingly, the place Prewitt proposed, he said.
“Her dessert came out with the ring box beside it, and she kind of just moved it to the side,” Prewitt said. “I had told her she might want to open the box.”
Even with all of their fun adventures together, Allenger said sometimes the mundane moments have allowed for their relationship to grow.
“One night, he hurt his finger, and I stayed with him in the hospital,” she said. “It was one of those funny things that you wouldn’t normally do until you’ve been together for a year, but where we are coming at this later in life, everything’s kind of expedited.”
Even though Allenger said her and Prewitt had lived full lives prior to connecting, they continue to value their time together as well as learn from one another.
“His sense of calm is contagious, and that’s not my personality,” she said. “It’s nice to see it, learn from it and to feel it.”
Meanwhile, Prewitt said he’s just as drawn to the parts of her personality that differ from his.
“To contrast, I am up in the morning, and somebody’s either singing or whistling,” Prewitt said. “If not singing or whistling, then dancing with the cats.”
Allenger said as much as she admires Prewitt’s calm and serious demeanor, she loves the other side of him just as much: the wit that sits beneath his seriousness.
“He has that facade of seriousness, but he’s so kind and has a really good sense of humor,” she said. “He’ll always say stuff to try and make me smile or laugh, and I can just feel that he loves me.”
Likewise, Prewitt said there is more to Allenger than her bright, animated exterior as he, and her students, get to witness the layers within her.
“There’s a serious side to Mindy, and particularly, she’s so dedicated and passionate about what she does,” Prewitt said. “The students absolutely love her, and the other faculty recognize how good she is as well.”
Above all, Allenger said having the opportunity to work at the university along with Prewitt has been a unique experience she continues to cherish.
“It really solidified us as a couple because we have this innate understanding of the other person,” Allenger said. “We get to show up for each other and support each other in a really special way.”
Kaitlyn Fleming can be contacted at [email protected].
