Like Cinderella, a great love story should begin with "Nice shoes." That's how Christine, née Adams, EDU '01, remembers meeting Jerome, EDU '01, on her first day at Temple University in the fall of 1999. Later that afternoon, Jerome would find himself in the same class as Christine. "Each class, I'd work my way to sit closer and closer together," he said. "Then, I finally found an excuse to talk to her."
After only a few dates, the pair decided to see if they could make it work, and a year and a half later, the two were married. Jerome proposed during a romantic getaway weekend in Center City, Philadelphia.
"As soon as I took out her grandmother's ring that her father gave me, she knew. And she said 'yes.'"
Christine had one deal-breaker, however, and it was at this point they made the first of many compromises.
"I always said I wasn't going to live in New Jersey," she said. "So, I took the name Bibelheimer and he moved to Pennsylvania."
"We both saw things the same way," said Jerome. "We both enjoy life and have the same perspective on what life is and isn't."
On their decision to become entrepreneurs, they followed the same playbook. After graduating college with master of science in education degrees, they started their careers in behavioral health, started their family welcoming twin daughters, and a few years later decided to launch their own business, Behavior Interventions, Inc., which specializes in the treatment of children 18 months through 21 years with autism spectrum disorder, communication and developmental delays, and challenging behaviors.
Whether it's dining out, taking vacations, or their approach to business, the Bibelheimers are all about finding joy in the variety of experiences life has to offer.
"Falling in love was easy. Staying married is hard," Jerome said. Every relationship goes through its ups and downs. His advice on keeping love strong through it all? "Every seven years, you have to recreate your relationship." Through college, career, raising twin girls, and now as empty-nesters, Christine and Jerome are excited about this next chapter in their lives, and the joys and adventures to come.