Four couples give insight on high school relationships by discussing what they admire about their partner, some of their most memorable dates, and the challenges they face.
Admirations
Seniors Anthony Brandi and Antonia Doyle have been dating since sophomore year. They have many common interests and push each other to be the best version of themselves.
“I admire how driven she is, how she holds herself to such a high standard in school and life,” Brandi said. “She makes sure her quality of work is at the highest standards. It pushes me to work harder, too.”
Similar to Brandi, sophomore James Parker is in a relationship that inspires him with sophomore Samara
Briones. They have been dating for around six months.
“I love how strong and independent she is,” Parker said. “When she wants something, she’s going to get it. It’s just really inspiring.”
Just like Parker admires Briones’s independent nature, Briones appreciates the extra effort Parker puts in to make her feel special.
“I admire how he’s very old-fashioned in the way that he still likes to bring me flowers and write me cute little notes,” Briones said. “I just think that’s sweet.”
In sophomore Ava Mancuso and junior John Hotlz’s relationship, supporting each other is of the highest importance. They have been dating for almost a year.
“Ava’s supportive of me and she cares a lot about me and my success,” Holtz said. “She’ll always bring me up if I’m down about a game or if I just had a bad day.”
Memorable Experiences
Brandi and Doyle both say that memorable experiences together are a key factor in their relationship.
“I love going to the beach with him, going on hikes, spending a day in the city together, and going to fun places to watch the sunset or have picnics,” Doyle said. “These are always fun dates because we both like being outdoors together. Sometimes he tries to make me throw a frisbee around with him and I give up after a few tries because I usually almost take someone out with the frisbee by accident.”
They both describe their relationship as being fun and unpredictable. Brandi compares it to a “crazy movie”.
“We laugh a lot with each other and it’s always unexpected what comes next each day,” Doyle said. “There’s never a dull moment when we’re together.”
Mancuso and Holtz also find that having special experiences together is important to building their relationship.
“My favorite experience with him would probably be watching the sunset in Mexico,” Mancuso said. “It was the first time I had ever left the US and it was just a really cool experience and we had such an amazing time.”
Challenges
These couples also spoke about the challenges they have faced including expiration dates, judgment from others, and time management. Seniors Kayla Carpenter and Dylan Burness have been dating for five months. Carpenter feels that judgment from others can be frustrating.
“A lot of adults don’t take you seriously about how much you really care for the people that you’re with,” Carpenter said. “It also feels like there is a time limit on it almost because college is coming and who knows what’s going to happen then. That really sucks sometimes.”
Other couples like Mancuso and Holtz, say they struggle with time management. They resolve this by meeting up between activities or doing homework together.
“We always let each other know our plans for each day so we can find in-between times to see each other,” Mancuso said.
Like Mancuso and Holtz, Doyle and Brandi make sure to talk to each other throughout the day or week to make sure they are on the same page.
“Communication is definitely key and that has been super helpful to overcome these challenges and to make things work.”
Brandi finds that in addition to communication, it is important to not only balance a busy schedule, but leave some of it clear to make time for the important moments in life.
“Whether it’s our relationship, work, school, or sports, keeping it balanced is important,” Brandi said. “I’ve overcome this by making sure to step back and to find some clarity in order to have more energy and be more present.”
