Photo by Hadyn Laux
As Valentine’s Day approaches, Hastings Senior High School is acknowledging more than just candy and heart shaped decorations. For Brian and Kendra Laux, the holiday serves as a reminder that love can develop, thrive, and grow within the same school environment.
The story of the Laux’s started well before faculty meetings and lesson plans. They both remember the first time they encountered each other at Dunkin Baseball Field at Hastings College. At the time Mrs. Laux was a freshman at Hastings College and Mr. Laux was a high school senior.
“We were both interested in the other,” Kendra Laux said. “We both asked our friends, ‘Who is that?”
Mr. Laux remembers telling a friend after the baseball game that he needed to meet her. With some help from mutual friends, the two had their first date at Amigos. That first date quickly turned into something serious.
“We started dating immediately after our first date,” Kendra Laux said.
Now married for over 25 years and together for 32, the Laux’s work in the same building where they help shape students’ future daily. Both have expressed working in the same school has been a positive experience.
“Working in the same school has been nice for our family,” Kendra Laux explained. “We are able to touch base each day and know each other’s schedule.”
Students, however, are often shocked after learning they are married.
“A lot of times students do not put two and two together,” Kendra Laux said. Mr. Laux agrees, remarking that when students do realize it, “They think it’s pretty cool that we work together.”
Despite sharing a workspace, the couple says they maintain a balance between their professional life and personal lives by staying focused during the day, even though they work in the same environment.
“We really don’t see each other that much during the day,” Brian Laux said, explaining that both are busy with their individual responsibilities.
For the Laux’s, shared values and trust are necessary components for a strong relationship.
“When you marry your best friend, it makes it easier,” Brian Laux said.
Kendra Laux expresses her gratitude as she shares her story with students this Valentine’s Day.
“We have four kids, and now a grandson,” Kendra Laux said. “We are very blessed, and I love sharing our story.”
