Valentine’s Day celebrates love and romance everywhere. According to Daniel Danshaw, a marriage and couples therapist, high school relationships build sturdy communication abilities, emotional regulation, and empathy. Similarly, Highland Rambler states these early relationships help each grow, discover more about themselves, and solve problems. Valentine’s Day celebrates couples all over the world; however, we would like to celebrate some Vista Valentines.
Finding love can happen anywhere and anytime; Audrey McCallister (11) and Austin Ruiz (11) first started dating in September of 2025 but met in July during summer Student Council work days. McCallister explains the first time they met, “I asked Austin to come help me take staples out of a bulletin board and we made it a competition (I won)…” After McCallister’s victory, she and Ruiz joined some of their friends at Dutch Bros, where the couple became friends and eventually “…started to develop feelings for each other.”
McCallister adores the ease of Ruiz’s presence, to her ¨he just gets it.¨ McCallister further shares, “If I am having a bad day, then he will automatically know and know how to comfort me.”
McCallister loves his emotional intelligence, which she considers “very hard to find in someone our age.” Ruiz shares, “what I love about Audrey, where do I even start? Well, first of all, she is a wonderful person and a genuinely kind soul… she is beautiful inside and out.” He considers McCallister a blessing and a ¨one of a kind¨ person. Ruiz expresses that “There is no explanation for this, but I love the feeling I get whenever I’m with her, and I never want to leave her side…¨ ¨…But lastly, I feel as though I can always be myself with her, my true, authentic self.¨
Similar to McCallister and Ruiz, Chalen Mapes (10) and Sloan McGuire (10) met through Sierra Vista’s Student Council, although McGuire voices, “our first conversation took place at homecoming set up in 2024.” Their relationship started on January first of 2025. McGuire loves how they communicate through everything, how ¨he knows me better than I know myself…¨ McGuire also expresses, “…how happy he makes me feel on days I’m upset”. Their relationship impacted McGuire positively by showing her how to have mature conversations and how to love someone with all her heart while continuing to take care of herself. Mapes states, “I love how mature she is and her sense of humor.” Mapes further shares that McGuire impacts their relationship by ¨making everyday better¨.
Layton Barnett (9) and Melanie Best (9) met in 8th grade, as they shared the same English class. Best and her friend, Audrey Marthepharack (9), used to record videos on their school Chromebooks. On Halloween, Barnett and his friend, Derrick Tovar (9), jokingly took their chairs off the connecting desks. Best explains, “Audrey and I were laughing because we could see them in our camera. We started talking to them and became an English group.” Barnett and Best started dating around that time, but it ended up not working out. Later, they continued as friends and eventually started dating in January. Layton shares, “I love her eyes, I love how she makes me feel special, I love how she makes me laugh, I love having someone I can talk to about anything.” Barnett feels as if, “I feel like I can be myself and I feel I’ve been getting closer to Christ, ever since I’ve been dating her I’ve been trying to be a better person and she’s really pushing me to do that and to be great”. Best, expresses “how he never judges me and how he is my best friend not just my boyfriend.” He makes her laugh more, puts her in a better mood, and shows Best how to show her true self. Best finally shares ¨never give up on a relationship because you never know where it can lead you.¨
Leila Kamaile Kawamura (12) and Sam Ernest (11) met during Student Council workdays in 2024. Kawamura shares, “I ended up pouring soap in his hair, so that wasn’t the best first impression.” After that, they occasionally talked, then during school, they got each other’s numbers and really started to get to know one another from there. They started dating in November of 2024. Kawamura says, “I love how he’s down to earth and genuine. He knows how to have fun but can also have deep conversations, and he’s really intelligent“. ¨Our relationship impacted me by providing me with my best friend and boyfriend in one.” She feels as though they understand each other and helped each other grow as a whole. Sam expresses, “What I love most about Kamaile is her compassionate heart; she always goes the extra mile to help.” He sees her as the most selfless person. Throughout their relationship, they have continued to build off each other by helping each other see a new perspective. They continue to show up for each other in rough times and always find ways to improve themselves.
Presley Hartstrom (11) shares, “Jeremiah James (12) and I met through a mutual friend and volleyball, and met at a volleyball open gym in December of 2024.” They started dating on March 8, 2025. Their relationship bloomed around 11 months ago. Hartstrom voices, “I love how he never fails to make me laugh and smile.” James makes Hartstrom a happier person as he positively impacts her life. James loves Hartstrom’s personality; he thinks of her as ¨outgoing¨ and ¨kind¨ to everyone she meets. Jeremiah says, “Our relationship has impacted my life in so many ways,
but the best one is that she has made me the best man I can be.” ¨…Presley brings out my happiest side and gets me out of my comfort zone to do more things I would have never done without her.¨
Happy Valentine’s to all members of the Sierra Vista family.
