NYT Profiles College Sweethearts Hayes-Bohanans ’86 in “Making it Last” Column

In an ongoing series on baby boomers who have been married for 25 years or more, the New York Times this week featured Retriever alumni sweethearts Pam and James Hayes-Bohanan ’86, who met and fell in love at good old UMBC. The pair, who now live and work in Bridgewater, MA, graduated with degrees in modern languages & linguistics and geography, respectively.

Read the full story in the New York Times here.

The interview recounts the early days of their relationship, when they met in a French class at UMBC; their travels together to attend grad school, and trials along the way; and their lives together as parents. They will celebrate their 26th wedding anniversary this May, the story said.

Asked what makes their relationship last, they told the Times:

Pam: Early on in our marriage we went to this couples communication workshop and we learned this very simple thing: you have to stop and thank your partner for whatever they did for you that day. Whoever took the garbage out, whoever changed the diaper; we always stop and remember that somebody did that so you didn’t have to.

James: But I would also say it was just picking the right person.