Home is Where the Heart Is: The Stephenson Family's Stafford Story

Photo by Karen Presecan

There's something special about the house on the Stephensons' street in Embrey Mill. Maybe it's the two golden retrievers greeting you at the door—Belle, the "dainty princess," and Elsa, who "is unaware that she is 60 pounds and would like you to hold her like a baby 90% of the time."

Or perhaps it's the warmth of a family that has crisscrossed the country with the Marine Corps and found that home was waiting right where Sarah Stephenson grew up. For Sarah and Steve Stephenson, their two sons Tyler (15) and Lucas (12), Stafford isn't just another duty station—it's destiny.

A Love Story Written in Sports

Sarah and Steve's story began in 2008 at a Super Bowl party during Steve's first tour at Quantico. "The Giants and the Patriots were playing, and it was when the Giants won and ruined the Patriots’ perfect season," Sarah recalls. But it was a July 4th baseball game at the Richmond Squirrels that sealed their fate. Deciding to leave a marriage proposal to chance, they proposed something more fun: they agreed to get married if they caught a foul ball during the game.

"Steve caught a foul ball that night," Sarah shares. They married that same month in July 2008 and, of course, still have that fateful ball.

Twenty-one years of Marine Corps service took the family across the East Coast, but Quantico kept calling them back. "We were stationed at Quantico four different times and decided it was fate that this is where we would retire," Sarah explains. When it came time to make that final decision, their boys had the strongest vote.

"Our kids really have invested themselves into being in Stafford, and— after moving them all over the East Coast—we wanted to honor their desire to stay," Steve adds.

Full Circle at Rockhill Elementary

For Sarah, returning to Stafford meant coming home in the most literal sense. She's now in her sixth year of teaching at Rockhill Elementary School, the same school she attended as a child. The symmetry is almost poetic: "I was able to work with my former 2nd-grade teacher, Mrs. Shaw. She taught our son, Lucas—28 years after she had me as a student."

Sarah's journey to the classroom was anything but linear. After attending the University of Tennessee and starting a family, she returned to school, earning her bachelor's from Oregon State in 2012. Working with military families as both a spouse and Family Readiness Advisor inspired her to pursue a master's from North Carolina State in 2015, and she later completed a Master's in Teaching from Liberty University in 2022. Now, she's pursuing a doctorate in Education with a focus on Administration and Leadership—all while teaching at the school where her own educational journey began.

Meanwhile, Steve completed an equally impressive academic marathon during his military career, earning degrees from Penn State (2013), Boston University (2016), and South College (2025), culminating in his doctorate in 2025, just before retiring in 2026. Steve began his post military career in February, joining Booz Allen Hamilton as a program manager. 

Raising the Next Generation of Engineers (Maybe)

Tyler and Lucas have become true Stafford kids. "If you asked our kids where 'home' is, they wouldn't have any other answer than Stafford," Sarah says proudly. Tyler, a typical teenager who's learning to drive ("which is insane"), maintains honor roll grades at Colonial Forge while gaming and exploring his passion for coding. He's set his sights on Virginia Tech for engineering, though Sarah has other ideas: "I think he should look into law school seeing that he loves to argue, but when do we ever listen to our parents?"

Lucas, who Sarah describes as "an amazing kiddo," maintains straight As in advanced courses at AG Wright, while participating in the STEM club and orchestra. He's also dreaming of Virginia Tech for engineering, much to his mother's playful dismay. "I am still holding out hope for Tennessee or Penn State. One of them has to go."

The boys have experienced something rare for military kids: continuity. "Tyler and Lucas have been able to attend all three schools that I went to while growing up," Sarah notes—a gift that Stafford has given this well-traveled family.

Community, Quirks, and Cats

Life in Embrey Mill has connected the Stephensons to a neighborhood that feels more like family. "We live on the most amazing little street. All of our neighbors are friends," Sarah shares. "We even all play on the softball team together," Steve adds. She and Steve play on a neighborhood team that's "mediocre at best, but it's a good time," but these self-aware neighbors still celebrate everything, from retirements to championship wins and block parties, together.

The neighborhood's interconnectedness extends beyond recreation. When their air conditioning died on the hottest day of summer, a neighbor came to fix it the same day. "There are a ton of businesses within our neighborhood. It's actually wildly convenient because anytime I need help, someone is right there."

When they're not playing softball or managing their small zoo—which includes two geriatric cats, Charlie and Alex (named after Sarah's best friend's redheaded son: "We try not to make it weird")—the family loves to travel. Their annual pilgrimage? Disney World.

"I know that people probably think that's boring, but we always find something new to experience each time we go," Steve says. It's become their "home away from home," a place that holds special meaning, too: "We have favorites we hit every time that honor some really fond memories we have of going with people that aren’t with us anymore."

Steve has found his own adventure closer to earth—or rather, a bit above it. He works as a coach at Skydive Orange, sharing his passion for the sport. Sarah's position on this hobby is crystal clear: "Sarah will never skydive, ever."

The Comfort of Familiarity

After decades of moving, the Stephensons have found what they were searching for all along. "There is something comforting about the familiarity of the area," Sarah reflects. "Although this area has certainly grown and changed since 1990, it is still the most consistent place that I could call home."

Sometimes home isn't where you end up— it's where you return. For the Stephensons, Stafford has always been waiting.