Sheila Moroney Santero ‘70 & Ron Santero ‘65

Sheila Moroney Santero, an NDB alumna from the Class of 1970, married her high school sweetheart, Ron Santero, a year after graduating from high school. The two met through Sheila’s older brother, Barry, as Ron was his best friend throughout childhood, and they have been a couple for almost 56 years and husband and wife for 53 years.

Ron was a member of Serra HS’s Class of 1965 and, although he had graduated by the time Sheila started at NDB, they dated and spent time together in the Tri-School system. One of the most notable things they did together during this time was attending Sheila’s Senior Ball, which was a time for them to celebrate her accomplishment of reaching graduation and spend time together.

Early on in their relationship, the couple attended numerous Motown concerts to see performers, such as Tina Turner, The Temptations and Smokey Robinson. They cite the success of their marriage to spending time together and attending these events.

“You have to have a lot of good times to get you through the bad times,” said Sheila. “So, we’ve tried to have a lot of fun together. We like to dance. We like to go to parties. We like to walk [and] we walk a lot together.”

Additionally, the two enjoy traveling together to places, like Hawaii and Italy, although they both agree that it is difficult for them to choose just one travel memory as their favorite after having been married for
such a long time.

Along with attending events and traveling, Sheila and Ron started a family, first as they raised their three daughters and now as grandparents. The full life that the couple has been able to spend together is evident through the many days they have spent together.

Although their relationship lasted through young adulthood and to the present day, many high school students do not marry their significant other for numerous reasons, such as separation due to distance during college or incompatibility. However, Sheila and Ron did offer advice on how to continue to foster such relationships.

“Listen,” suggested Ron. “Try to listen, you know, to the other person and, you know, you have to be willing to compromise.”

With their constant companionship for more than half a century, Sheila and Ron embody what it means to be committed within a relationship. From the time they started dating when Sheila was at NDB and Ron was a recent graduate of Serra to the present day, the two have been able to maintain a strong bond by spending time together, whether it was for a special event or an everyday activity. They have proved that what matters most is making every moment and detail count.

Chris Bunje Lowenstein ‘86 & Jeff Lowenstein ‘86

NDB alumna Chris Bunje Lowenstein ‘86 and her husband Jeff, who was a member of Serra HS’s Class of 1986, are high school sweethearts who have been married for almost 32 years. The couple was introduced by a mutual friend, who happened to be Chris’s neighbor. Although Chris was initially using Jeff as a date to a social event for NDB and Serra students their junior year, they ended up developing a serious relationship.

During high school, they had many kinds of fun and wild adventures, and despite the Tri-School program not existing, they attended basketball and baseball games as well as other mixers together.

After graduating from high school, Chirs and Jeff spent a lot of time together over the summer, with Chris fretting over whether Jeff would break up with her as a result of leaving for college, despite the couple agreeing to stay together. However, two days after beginning college, Chris ended the relationship. They remained broken up for one year but got back together after Jeff transferred to Santa Clara University their sophomore year, where Chris had been attending.

It was not until later in their relationship when Chris was turning 24 that Jeff proposed on top of the Matterhorn ride located in Disneyland.

To Chris, many things, such as their vows, friends and being supportive of one another through their passions and life have helped them stay together.

“Hopefully, when you get married, those people can provide support when times are tough, because no matter how much you love each other, there’s definitely going to be bumps in the road of life, or unexpected things that happen,” said Chris.

Jeff added on about the importance of friends and his favorite part about being high school sweethearts, sharing, “The evolution and knowing our friends and family for so long, that’s been kind of the best part for me. And so I think that it’s great that we’re still really good friends with people that we went to high school with and college with. And like Chris was saying, our youngest son went to Cal Poly, and he lived with the youngest son of another good friend of ours. So it’s like the next generation is carrying on; it’s great to see that. So those are the kinds of things that make a long-term relationship.”

The couple and their family have continued to stay connected to the Tri-School community as Chris teaches English at Serra, where both of their sons attende.

Their relationship highlights that having a support system outside the relationship is critical to its success.

Bridget Marchetti ‘92 & Brian Philip ‘92

Although Bridget Marchetti Philip ‘92 and Brian Philip ‘92 have known each other since kindergarten and both attended NDB and Serra HS, respectively, their romantic relationship did not begin until their sophomore year of high school when Brian invited Bridget to the formal dance in February of 1990. From that moment on, they attended every Tri-School event together.

In high school, Brian excelled in football, soccer and track & field, while Bridget was always on the sidelines, cheering him on. Reflecting on their times as teenagers, they highlighted how grateful they were to have each other as a support system. They emphasized that the importance of family played a significant role in strengthening their relationship as they visited each other’s homes and attended family gatherings together.

Upon graduating, Bridget attended Santa Clara University, while Brian went to the University of San Francisco. Despite being at different schools, the couple spent a lot of time together, enjoying outings in San Francisco and visits to Santa Clara.

After staying together through college, Bridget left for Washington D.C. to attend Georgetown University School of Medicine. Brian followed her soon after, leading them to live there for three years and get married in 1998.

In March 2000, they returned to California when Bridget was matched to a hospital. Six years later, in 2006, Bridget gave birth to Sabrina Philip ‘24 in 2006, followed by Olivia Philip ‘27 in 2009.

One of the couple’s favorite things about their relationship is that they experienced the various stages of life together and that they get to spend time with each other every day.

When asked what advice they have for students in relationships, Bridget explained, “I think what resounds from both of our pasts and our experiences is that you have to be patient and you have to grow with the individual that you decide to have a relationship with. And, the end question is, ‘Could you see yourself living without that person or not? And, if it’s not, then you have to let [the relationship] go.’”

The story of Brian and Bridget Phillips illustrates the profound impact of love, support and shared experiences in shaping their journey and relationship together. From their high school beginnings to raising their daughters, they demonstrate how patience and commitment can sustain a relationship through life’s many stages. While it can be difficult for a couple to determine if a relationship is permanent, their advice highlights the importance of growth in love and that true connections require understanding and the willingness to grow together.

Kyra Ehlers ‘16 & Nicholas Knecht ‘16

When one thinks of high school sweethearts, they usually envision a couple that has been together for all four years. However, the story of Kyra Ehlers ‘16 and Nicholas Knecht, Serra HS Class of 2016, looks different.

Kyra and Nicholas met through mutual friends at the start of their senior year and became close friends until they started dating during the second semester. They have since been dating for nine years and are now engaged with their wedding set to take place in May of 2026.

During high school, their paths did not really cross. Nicholas was on the baseball team, while Kyra played softball as an underclassman before switching to track and field for her junior and senior years. When their paths finally did cross, they were able to attend both Serra’s and NDB’s proms together.

After high school, Kyra attended Loyola Marymount University to major in Sociology, while Nicholas attended College of San Mateo to play baseball, before transferring to San Jose State University (SJSU). Because of this, they ended up being in a long distance relationship for the entirety of college. Their plan had initially been to only be apart for two years as Nicholas had planned to attend UC San Diego, but his switch in schools led to their continued separation.

Kyra emphasized that, while the long distance was difficult, they both knew that they were committed to staying together. Their dedication led to her supporting Nicholas’s decision to take the offer at SJSU, and they made their relationship work by flying to see each other, whether he would visit her in the fall during the off-season or if she would visit him during the spring and attend his games.

Kyra explained that one of the things that helped them stay together during these long distances was that they were independent and not reliant on each other, which allowed them to grow individually.

Many things, such as trust and communication, helped them stay together throughout adulthood.

To Kyra, the best part about being high school sweethearts is not only having the opportunity to see their growth, but also being able to recount fond memories and people from high school.

“I also think it’s just really important, and people underestimate the importance of your partner being your best friend. And, at the end of the day, Nick is my best, my closest friend. He knows everything about me, and he’s the one that I tell things to first, and vice versa,” explained Kyra.

Kyra and Nicholas’s relationship highlights the importance of determination and trust in a relationship. Their story also reminds students that it is never too late to find love in high school.

Piper Ventura ‘28 & Zac Pimentel ‘28

Piper Ventura and Zac Pimentel, both members of the Class of 2028 at NDB and Serra HS, respectively, met in seventh grade when Zac transferred from St. Pius School to Nativity Catholic School. Piper had been attending Nativity since kindergarten, and the two began their relationship during the fall of their eighth grade year on a class trip to Yosemite National Park. Last November, they celebrated their one-year anniversary and have now been a couple for a year and two months.

After staying together for the remainder of their time in middle school, Piper and Zac enrolled in high school and, because they both chose to go to schools within the Tri-School system, they have been able to attend numerous school events with each other.

Since both are involved in athletics with their schools, as Piper played JV volleyball for NDB, while Zac was a member of Serra’s freshman football team, they were able to support each other at various sporting events during the fall sports season, cheering on the sidelines and celebrating big wins after matches.

“We like to go to each other’s big games. Like, he came to Dig Pink, and I went to the [Poly Night] game,” said Piper. “It’s just fun to socialize with each other’s friends and all.”

Additionally, the two have attended high school dances together as they have gone to Winter Formal for both NDB and Serra as well as NDB’s inaugural Homecoming.

Since they no longer go to the same school, Piper and Zac have used opportunities such as these to further cultivate their relationship, which can be a difficult thing to do when they are not able to see each other every day. Aside from these Tri-School activities, the couple typically tries to stay connected through the business that comes with being a high school student.

“[My favorite memory was] when we went to the beach,” Zac shared, recalling their trip to Half Moon Bay for their one-year anniversary for which the two took a walk on the beach before going out to eat as a way to celebrate and mark an important milestone in their relationship.

Although it can be difficult to foster relationships in high school due to the exorbitant amount of responsibilities, such as homework and practices, Piper and Zac have tried to prioritize their communication and time management in order to sustain their connection. However, the high school aspect of their relationship has also made it more exciting for them as they have been able to attend numerous events together and always have someone supporting them through these formative years.