Walking in the halls, everybody gossiping about who their valentine is going to be looking around, someone catches your eye, maybe they’ll be my Valentine.
Valentine’s Day is one of the biggest holidays around the world. At Highlands, some teachers are living proof that high school sweethearts can go the distance. Most students see high school relationships as a short-term commitment, but these two teachers have proven that wrong.
Math teacher Abigail McCoy met her husband, Donovan, from sitting next to him during English class in her freshman year in 2010. They dated for 10 years before getting married and now they have been married for 5 years.
Art teacher Stephanie Beiting met her husband, Michael, at her family friend’s house. They dated 1 ½ years before getting married and they have been married 13 years.
“As everyone grows up, they naturally change different parts about themselves [friends, interests, life goals, etc.]. We had to allow one another the space to grow and change and make sure we were supportive partners,” McCoy said.
Committing to a long-term relationship can have some challenges and Beiting proved that sometimes couples just need a break from each other to take time and grow, and if they are truly made for each other, they will eventually find themselves back together.
“We dated for my sophomore year and his junior year. After that, we broke up but always stayed friends. We started dating again about 10 years later,” Beiting said.
Being with each other since high school means a life full of memories together. The biggest thing to do in high school was the dances. Getting ready with friends, attending parties, and hanging out with their dates.
“My favorite memory is going to the Homecoming Dance at Union Terminal. It was our first real date,” Beiting said.
Valentine’s Day as high school sweethearts is very special knowing that they have been together since they were teenagers growing up with each other, and helping each other be the best that they can be is very special and doesn’t happen often.
“He is the most thoughtful with celebrations… He likes to start the day with a special breakfast and always has stuff set up for us whenever we [our girls and myself] wake up.”, Beiting said.
From dating in high school to getting married can be a lot. Most couples break up because they are going to separate colleges or just don’t think they will last. Being together for so long can cause many challenges but these two Highlands teachers have overcome those obstacles.
“We started dating Freshman year!” McCoy said.
Going into high school it’s common to meet a lot of new people. One minute it’s bad sitting next to someone who doesn’t talk, then the next minute they start to build a closer bond. In the blink of an eye, they are saying I do.
“We met in freshman English class! Mrs. Foltz was our teacher. She put us next to each other in her seating chart at the beginning of the year,” McCoy said.
These teachers have experienced going from dating in high school to becoming sweethearts. While not every teenage romance lasts a lifetime, Valentine’s Day serves as a reminder that love can be lasting.
