When you first hear the words “love” or “Valentine’s Day,” you probably think about relationships, about the affection you give to the person you care about. Maybe you feel sad because you don’t have the chance to experience a loving relationship or you’re ecstatic about what the day may celebrate. However, not everything has to be about couples and romance — there can always be different sides of love to celebrate and share. To honor Valentine’s Day 2025, let’s hear from six students and staff to share their stories and explore the many different sides of love.

A tail of love

“My favorite thing about having Banyan around is that it gives you something to look forward to every morning. It lets you escape the stressful school environment for a little bit and just have you focus. He gets very excited to see people he knows. He’ll visibly be happy to see you and he’ll start wagging his tail. [It’s nice] to see that somebody you know cares for you,” Bruns said.

Banyan’s natural ability to bring comfort and joy to those around him goes much further than just being a companion: he’s a reminder of the power of emotional support. Senior Lily Hudak shares her appreciation for his calming presence, making it clear that Banyan isn’t just a dog but rather a source of healing for both students and staff. His role at the school highlights the impact that animal therapy can have on mental well-being, teaching us the value of empathy, patience and the healing power of unconditional support.

“I think [Banyan] is a really sweet dog, he seems to calm a lot of people down. And I think that it’s a benefit to have a therapy dog at our school because some people are going to eventually need one. Some people might not, but [they] still get to have one, just in case,” Hudak said.

Te Amo

Having both lived in Spain and meeting in a master’s degree class, Spanish teachers Francisco Navarro and Dominique Navarro  combine their love for their culture and language into their classrooms.

“We were both in Madrid and we were in class together. We [ended up] sharing lunch one day to go over some homework. I liked how passionate he was about the culture and the language,” D. Navarro said.

The couple grew up immersed in the same cultural background and went to school together. In Spain, they felt a connection due to their similar childhoods. They felt a push to bring that same energy to students.

“We show our interest in [Spanish] in our classrooms so that students can make connections with the things that they’re learning in class,” Francisco Navarro said.

The Navarro’s enjoy each other’s company and share stories from each other’s classes. Working in the same subject gives them a unique relationship with unique advantages.

“It’s very fun to work together. We can either see each other every day, or we can ignore each other if we don’t want to see each other. But it’s fun to know the students that go back and forth between levels. Professionally, we challenge each other to learn about new things or words or grammar concepts. We’re nerds like that,” Dominique Navarro said. 

The heart of the game

Each year, a group of senior boys are selected to represent and hype up sports on campus as the Parkway West Superfans. The Superfans run an Instagram account created by students which is unaffiliated from district activities. Seniors Tyler Kuehl, Ethan Smith, and Finn Smith and Henry Wild are just a few who were chosen for this year’s group; each one holds an important role on the team in showing their school spirit and pride.

“Being able to advertise the games through posts brings more people there and shows when each game is. I feel like that brings more attendance to games,” Kuehl said. “There’s no hate because we’re one community and [we’re] always cheering each other on, which is awesome.”

Most, if not all, superfans share the experience of having played a sport in high school. These selected students understand the importance of showing their support and admiration for the teams and games on and off the field. They express their love for the sport and make a commitment to show the school how many great things can happen.

“I think social media can give athletes some recognition for their success, and especially [highlight] teams that are doing well. [It] lets everyone know that they’re representing West in a good light,” Ethan Smith said. “It gives West teams pride in their school and [knowledge] that Parkway West is [a] place that athletes want to be.”

The advertisements created by the social media account help engage students and staff, bringing the population together in the bleachers to cheer on their favorite teams. Ultimately, the posts bring a sense of hype and recognition to the West High School community and the players who are putting their foot forward into athletics. 

“I’d say [that social media plays] a big portion [in building school pride] because it just raises awareness for what time the games are at, how much it costs to get in [and] the rules. Everyone has social media, and it’s really easy to follow and get all the updates right from your phone,” Finn Smith said. “It means a lot to go and support your friends when they’re at a game, and it means a lot to me when people come out to watch. We wouldn’t really have sports without that.”

The function of love

Teachers Chris Johnson and Sarah Johnson, a married couple here at West High, both share a passion for STEM — Chris Johnson teaches math and Sarah Johnson teaches science. Although they teach different subjects, they both try to influence their students to appreciate both topics.

“I am a new teacher [at West]. This is my eighteenth year of teaching. I taught middle school for 12 years, and I really wanted to come back to high school. I [already spent] a lot of time here, because my husband is a coach,” Sarah Johnson said.

She believes working alongside her husband has impacted her ways of teaching. In science, you use graphs and formulas that come from math expressions. 

“My husband teaches math, so I think math is pretty cool. I’m always encouraging kids to appreciate the math that we’re doing in science to see how it connects to other subjects,” Johnson said. “He also teaches AP Statistics so when we’re looking at graphs I think it’s fun to see how you can make graphs say what you want them to. So [there is] a little push towards statistics.”

Helping to bridge the gap between work and personal life can be tricky, but the couple succeeds in and outside of work. They believe it is important that you have someone by your side to share your progress and accomplishments with.

“I think the nature of teaching is that you have to like people. You have to like your content, and I think having colleagues to share that with [helps]. Whether it’s a wife or a friend or just another teacher, I think [it] is important to keep that passion alive of wanting to connect with people, and also wanting to connect with content,” Chris Johnson said.

Together through thick and thin 

They first met in sixth grade, starting off as just friends. During the course of middle school, it slowly evolved into a relationship. Now, sophomores Sam Kitrell and Alyssa Gessner have continued to date for the past two years. Even through tough moments, their love for each other has remained strong. They have been together through thick and thin and continue to keep going.

“We’ve both grown as people, because [we] started dating in middle school, and we’ve been [together] for two years. We’ve learned to stick by each other and accept that our personalities are changing but our feelings haven’t changed,” Gessner said. “I was having some family issues, and I just needed someone to confide in. [I had to] get out of the house, and I was able to go to his house and hang out with his family. I get along with his family really well and I was able to just kind of find a safe spot.”

During their relationship, Gessner and Kitrell are able to share special moments with one another. They spend quality time with each other’s families and like to go on trips together.

“Last year, we went to the Lake of the Ozarks together, and that’s a family spot for me, so that was really fun and special,” Kitrell said. 

Despite being 16 years old, they have already faced numerous challenges that have tested their relationship. In just two years together, they’ve navigated through tough times, becoming stronger and more connected. Both are committed to working hard and supporting each other’s growth while being determined to become better versions of themselves as they continue to build their future together.

“We’ve gotten closer [and have] become better [for each other]. [It took] time to build it but we did.” Kitrell said.