At the College of Humanities and Social Sciences, love is all around! For several of our CHSS alums, their time at George Mason University is something they share with their spouse, long-term partner, or best friend. Read nine of their stories, just in time for Valentine’s Day weekend.
Keith Yocum & Denise (Desaulniers) Yocum
Relationship Status: Married for 45 years
Where or how did you meet at Mason?
We met at my sister Kolleen's house. Denise and Kolleen were in the same MA psychology program at George Mason and were prepping for a test. I had just graduated from George Mason and was trying to watch a football game. I was able to tempt them to stop studying and start watching with me. The fact that they both eventually earned doctorates showed that I was only partially successful in leading them astray.
How did you know they were the one?
Denise later moved away from Northern Virginia to take a psychology position near Boston. It took about two months before I realized, like in fishing, that I couldn’t let the "big one" get away. For her part, Denise felt the only way to ensure the fisherman was serious was to move to another pond.
Raj Ratwani and Krista (Langkamer) Ratwani
Relationship status: Married
Where or how did you meet at Mason?
We first met at a social mixer for new CHSS graduate students. We got to know each other better through different social events, making mutual friends, and having a class together.
How did you know they were the one?
If you can make it through a doctoral program together, you can make it through anything! We found a way to have fun while remaining dedicated to our work and supporting one another.
Terry Coleman Cox and Shonda Mason Milhon
Relationship Status: Best Friends for 35 years
Where or how did you meet at Mason?
We were randomly assigned as roommates our freshman year. We then remained roommates until graduation.
What is your favorite thing about each other?
Shonda is the most reliable person I know and she is uncannily organized. She loves her closest family and friends unconditionally. She has been there to celebrate my greatest accomplishments and lift me up during my lowest of lows. She is exactly what every person deserves in a friend.
My favorite thing about Terry is that we can talk about anything to one another, and I've never felt judged whether we agree or not. But no matter what, she always makes me laugh during our calls. She is someone I can always count on. She is not just someone I want in my life, but someone I need in my life. She makes my life better.
Mike and Beth Johnson
Relationship status: Married for 19 years
How did George Mason play a role in your love story?
After Mike got out of the Marines, he went into Higher Ed, working in the Office of Admissions and also with some projects in Advancement. I followed him over to Mason not too long afterwards, also working in Advancement. Higher Education is such a family friendly field and it was great for both of us to be able to see each other during the day, grab lunch together at times and have a great work life balance with our first daughter, who was a little over 6 months old when I started. Mike began his master's a year ahead of me and finished in 2011. I finished mine a year later while I was six months pregnant with our second child. We both have great memories from our time there, our classmates, and with the great leadership team that was at Mason during our time.
What was your first impression of each other?
I initially met Beth while I was sitting in the waiting area for a meeting. We were engaging in small talk when she slipped out a random “ya'll.” Having grown up in the South, I asked where she was from, and she told me she had gone to college at Auburn University. My meeting ended up being rescheduled and the next time I saw Beth she was asking for a ride to her car during a thunderstorm. One email led to a couple of lunches, and we started dating maybe a few weeks later.
Chris Lenertz and Meagan (Bedsaul) Lenertz
Relationship Status: Married for 10 years
What was your first impression of each other?
I thought she was beautiful, smart, outgoing - way out of my league. She thought I was smart, quiet, and very focused. We later learned that we both love the same music and had a strong desire to travel internationally.
How did you know they were the one?
When we both traveled to Beijing for a Study Abroad trip, we both knew that this was something special and that we made each other a better person by being together. Our families saw that immediately and were also invested in our relationship.
Cole Jamison and Ally Skalecky Jamison
Relationship Status: Married
What was your first impression of each other?
I thought that Ally was nice and it was a bonus that she liked sports. Cole was kind and really made an effort to make me feel comfortable, he took the time to get to know me and my interests. It was a bonus that he went to George Mason, that really helped us to connect.
Where or how did you meet at Mason?
The Invisible String theory proved true for us - there were many times we could have crossed paths at Mason in the two years we overlapped but just missed each other. Sometimes it’s fun to think about how many times we may have passed when Cole was on the way to swim practice, or I was giving a campus tour. We met after we both graduated on an online dating app, Hinge.
Yeksson Mendez and Rosa Roque
Relationship Status: Married
What was your first impression of each other?
I thought Yeksson was weird, Yeksson thought I was quirky and bubbly.
Where or how did you meet at Mason?
We met during the STEP program during the Summer 2009 semester. The girls I ate lunch with had classes with him, so one day they brought him to lunch in the JC. He was quiet and would just sit there every day during lunch, but during the following fall and spring semester, we grew close because we had a lot of classes together. Eventually we became inseparable.
Cory Morgan and Lottye Lockhart
Relationship Status: Just married!
Where or how did you meet at Mason?
We met on the first day of orientation. I thought Lottye was the prettiest girl in my orientation group.
How did you know they were the one?
I felt like I could safely be my true self around Lottye. I knew I could count on Cory for anything, and he felt like home.
Jose Garcia and Natalie Lima-Garcia
Relationship Status: Married for 21 years
What was your first impression of each other?
I don't remember the first time I met Jose. Supposedly, my head was in a biology book.
Where or how did you meet at Mason?
It was November 1998. We met through a mutual friend who introduced me to him and a larger friend group. The second time we "met" Jose showed me a magic trick with cards. Then I started hanging out with the group a lot more and found myself sitting closer to Jose compared to others.
February 13, 2026