Science teachers reflect on their shared chemistry and long friendship

The bond that science teachers Kristen Thomson and Lisa Cochrum share is legendary in the science wing. Their names go together like peanut butter with jelly or macaroni with cheese. 

Known for their opposite personalities, the pair nonetheless share a strong, nearly 24-year friendship that has included numerous trips together all over the world.

“We met in Miss Thomson’s interview at the high school for her job, May of ‘99,” Cochrum said. “And from the moment I met her, I liked her.”

The first bonding moment of their friendship was over Cochrum’s previous trip to Ecuador, where Thomson was also planning to go that summer. On that trip, Thomson just so happened to have a wonderful tour guide whom she developed a crush on.

“Don’t ever fall in love with a tour guide on vacation,” Cochrum said. “We all know that rule. It won’t work out. And as you know, I’m a liar liar pants on fire because [Thomson’s] still married to him today and has two lovely children.”

Over the years, the duo’s friendship grew, and Cochrum was one of the first people to see Thomson’s children in the hospital when they were born. 

Cochrum even claims that Thomson’s second child, Isla and an anagram of Lisa, was unofficially named after her. 

“It’s no fun to confirm or deny claims,” Thomson said.

From the mentions of all the adventures Cochrum has taken Thomson’s children on, from taking them to San Diego (during which she recalls them singing the “Lego Movie” theme song in her ear the entire time) to Cochrum’s name being one of the first few words Isla could write, it’s clear that Cochrum has always acted as an aunt figure to Thomson’s children.

Since the start of their friendship, Thomson and Cochrum have traveled together to South Africa, Madagascar, Borneo, Malaysia and Scotland. 

Courtesy of Lisa Cochrum

Thomson and Cochrum feeding giraffes in South Africa.

“We’ve always been good friends, but I think the moment that solidified a lifetime friendship for us was when we both got sick camping in the middle of Madagascar,” Cochrum said. 

At this point during the conversation, Thomson cut in to clarify that she was the one who was sick to the point of not walking, while Cochrum was only a little sick. 

“She hands me this wonderful, nasty concoction of sugar water with salt,” Thomson said.

Cochrum cut in again as Thomson explained “And how did you feel afterwards?” “Gross… And I could walk.” “Oh, it actually improved her, and her husband made her drink it!”

Courtesy of Lisa Cochrum

Thomson and Cochrum in Madagascar.

In the interview, the pair continued to laugh about a memory they shared in Scotland, where Cochrum got to show off Thomson’s father-in-law’s calf at the official Farm Show, a time when Cochrum had to give a speech at the end of the banquet that she wasn’t aware of very far in advance. 

“[The speech] was written on napkins in the car, and [Thomson] was throwing clothes on me and jewelry on me and fixing my hair, so I looked presentable,” Cochrum said. 

Thomson’s awareness of the inner mechanisms of her friend’s mind goes so far, in fact, that she has even harnessed something she calls the “Cochrum Stress Meter,” correlating the volume of Cochrum’s hair to the amount of stress she is feeling. 

“It’s proven with science,” Thomson said. “Absolutely proven with science.”

Graphic by Kristen Thomson

A helpful illustration of the ever-so-elusive Cochrum Meter.

Thomson said she feels as if Cochrum is like a sister to her. Indeed, throughout the interview, the two bounced quips off each other without any effort, laughing at shared experiences and existing in perfect harmony even as their personalities differ like night and day: quiet and loud, organized and chaotic, straight hair and curly hair.

Perhaps their coincidental moments brought this perfect pair together, but it was the bonds of shared time and friendship that has kept the two of them in each other’s lives. 

“She gets me. Like there’s no one else when you have complete trust with everything. That’s the best thing,” Thomson said.