High school is often a time for finding yourself, but for some Green Hope High School teachers, it was also the place they found their forever partners.
Social studies teacher Mr. Colin Richardson’s love story started prior to his freshman year, at a Green Hope marching band fundraiser. He said he had a “big crush” on the girl who would eventually become Dr. Richardson, but it took years of trying before she finally agreed to a date. In high school, their dates were simple: they would go to a cheap $1.50 movie theater near NC State University, grab Cook Out, and then head back for a second movie.
Even though they stayed together in college, they eventually decided to break up for a year to grow up and learn who they were as individuals. Mr. Richardson said that time apart gave them “clear eyes” and made them realize how much they loved each other. Today, the couple has been together for over 20 years and married for 15 with two children. Looking back on the journey from being a Green Hope Falcon to a husband, Mr. Richardson used one word to describe it: “joyous.”
Not every Green Hope couple started out as high school lovers. Mr. Ethan Morrow, an art teacher, and his wife both attended the same small school in Randolph County at the same time, but they actually never met during high school. It wasn’t until college that they were set up on a blind date by his friends that their paths crossed. Mr. Morrow didn’t even realize it was a double date until they pulled into a driveway and his friend told him, “Oh yeah, she has a friend here going with us.”
While their paths didn’t cross in the hallways as teenagers, they eventually found each other and now, they both work together right here at Green Hope. These stories reflect the human elements of the high school experience. Whether students find their lovers in the marching band or meet them years later, what they should find in a relationship is growth.
As Mr. Richardson stated, the most important part of any relationship is being “generous” and allowing the other person to change. High school is a starting line, not a finish line. Whether it is through the “clear eyes” of a brief breakup or the chance of a blind date, these educators show that the most successful relationships are built on the ability to grow up together without growing apart.
