Get a deeper look into the love lives of Sahuaro couples, who express their favorite memories and what love means to them.

Hope Emmett & Nathan Kruszewski 

Q: How long have you two been together?

Nathan and Hope: Two and a half years

Q: Where and when did you guys meet?

Nathan: We were at a swim meet in Casa Grande.
Hope: So the swim team… and it was sophomore year.

Q: Who made the first move?

Hope: Me. I texted him first.
Nathan: Umm… she texted me, but I said something first.

Q: Who said I love you first?

Nathan: I did.

Q: What aspect of the other person drew your attention and made you attracted to them?

Nathan: She was just full of energy and I like that. I feel like when people have a lot of energy they can carry me too… I liked talking to her.
Hope: I’m a really competitive person and he was the best person on the swim team so I was like heck yeah! He just seemed really nice.

Q: Where did you guys go on your first date?

Hope and Nathan: We went to the movies.
Hope: We watched Maleficent 2.
Nathan: There were no good movies out.

Q: What is your favorite thing about your partner?

Hope: His charisma… his caring for other people and how generous he is.
Nathan: That she is one of the kindest people I ever met.

Q: What’s a favorite memory you guys share?

Nathan: There’s a lot of good ones… when we went camping at Lake Roosevelt and I went tubing for the first time. That was a fun experience… I fell off and I think I kicked her in the face. I don’t know if it was you… I kicked someone.
Hope: I took Nathan white water rafting in Colorado… his tube popped, and his butt was dragging on the rocks the whole way down the river.

Q: Is there a song that reminds you of the other?

Hope: Don’t Stop Believing.
Nathan: It’s a good song.

Q: What is something that your partner does that annoys you?

Hope: Whenever we have plans, he sleeps in too late and I always have to go to his house, and bang on his door to wake him up.
Nathan: Not all the time. Maybe, when you’re on your phone on tiktok when I’m at your house. Like I don’t know what to do…I’m just sitting there. Like do I watch her tiktoks? Do I play on my phone?

Q: Who is most likely to forget your guys’ anniversary date?

Hope: Honestly, probably me… because Nathan is forgetful, but he remembers like.. super sentimental things like that really well and I’m bad with dates.
When asked what their anniversary date is…
Nathan: October 22nd.
Hope: He’s so quick with it.

Q: What does love mean to you?

Hope:  Just having somebody there when you’re sick, sad, happy. Whenever you’re feeling anything, having someone to go to.
Nathan: When you find someone that you can actually talk to. You can open yourself up to them and you don’t have to worry about them judging you.

Q: Any advice to other couples?

Nathan: Go with the flow.
Hope: Don’t force anything…enjoy each other’s company while you have it. Focus on the good.

Amaya Jimmerson and Deshawn Burnes

Q: How long have you two been together?

Amaya: Three years tomorrow (May 11th).

Q: Where and when did you guys meet?

Deshawn: The mall.
Amaya: So he’s my best friend’s cousin, so my best friend was like said “hi” at the mall and then… I was like damn he fine.
Deshawn: I’m weak.

Q: Who made the first move?

Amaya: Me. So I told my best friend… what’s his snap chat? And then Deshawn never added me back, until I seen him in person again and then we just started talking from there. That was in 6th grade though. We started dating in 6th grade then broke up for like a year… I was in eight grade he was a freshman and we’ve been together since then.

Q: Who said I love you first?

Amaya: I don’t even know… probably him.
Deshawn: I don’t know.

Q: What aspect of your partner drew your attention and made you attracted to them? 

Deshawn: Her personality… looks of course.
Amaya: First time I seen him…fine. I didn’t know the personality.

Q: Where did you guys go on your first date?

Amaya: I wanna say it was the movies.
Deshawn: Yeah, the movies.
Amaya: Since we were so young it was PG-13 or something… I don’t even think I was 13 yet and we couldn’t get into the movies, so then we have to go into this Jesus movie. That…was trash.

Q: What is your favorite thing about your partner?

Amaya: His smile and he is super nice…treats me like a princess.
Deshawn: Personality, looks…everything.

Q: What is a favorite memory you guys share?

Amaya: Any traveling… we went Disney Land together. We went to Vegas… it’s really always fun because he is my best friend.
Deshawn: She went with me to go get my dream car…2021 Scat Pack.

Q: What is a song that reminds you of your partner?

Amaya: How does that song go… you’re that coffee that I need in the morning… but we always used to sing that don’t be lying.
Deshawn: She lying.

Q: What is something that your partner does that annoys you?

Amaya: He always thinks he is right.
Deshawn: Yea.
Deshawn: She always wants to be around me. I’m just playing.

Q: Who is most likely to forget the anniversary date?

Amaya: I don’t think we would by this time.

Q: What does love mean to you?

Amaya: Love is more like… a best friend relationship. No matter what. Even if we did break up he is still my best friend. The bond is just so strong.
Deshawn: Someone who is always by your side, like this kid.

Q: Any advice to other couples?

Amaya: Don’t try to be perfect – everybody fights… you guys can’t both give up and you guys will last.
Deshawn: Posting your relationship on the media
Amaya: It don’t always have to be out there.

Alisa Quero and JT Lochhead

Q: How long have you two been together?

Alisa: 3 years.

Q:Where and when did you guys meet?

Alisa: We met at school…gym class.
JT: Freshman year.

Q:Who made the first move?

JT: Me.

Q:Who said I love first?

JT: Me.

Q: What aspect of the other person drew your attention to them?

Alisa: He didn’t stop trying I guess… he kept asking if we could go on a date until I said yes.
JT: Her laughter…her personality.

Q: Where did you go on your first date? 

Alisa and JT: Movies.
JT: How to Train a Dragon 3.

Q:What’s a favorite memory you guys share?

Alisa: Christmas Eve, I had a lot of fun then.
JT: I was going to say the same thing… or prom.

Q:Who is most likely to forget your guys’ anniversary date? 

JT: Me.
Their anniversary date is…
JT and Alisa: May 6th.

Q: Any advice to any other couples? 

Alisa: Don’t tell everyone your problems.
JT: Just enjoy it. The least amount of drama, the better.

Maria Cooperstein and Maylon Johnson

Q: How long have you two been together?

Maylon: Since October 12th, 2020.
Maria: So, a year and a half.

Q: Where and when did you guys meet?

Maylon: We met in the culinary room.
Maria: Then Covid happened and we just started talking over Covid.

Q: Who made the first move?

Maria: I did. I had the biggest crush on him, so I was always flirting with him in class.
Maria and Maylon: The Valentine’s Day note.
Maylon: That was the first move.
Maria: I wrote him this long Valentine’s Day note.
Maylon: She drew a little picture of me in the corner.

Q: Who said I love you first?

Maria: I said I love you first. I didn’t mean to say it. It was like automatic… just like oh I love you.

Q: What aspect of the other person drew your attention to them? 

Maria: His confidence and his sense of humor, and his music taste. We would always listen to music together and he would always give me one of his ear buds and listen to his music and like oh my gosh…his music is so good.
Maylon: Mostly her positivity, she was always like optimistic and it was really refreshing. I met her when I was at a low point and she was like a shining light. She’s funny…she can cook! She can really cook too. One of the best chefs I know.

Q: Where did you go on your first date?

Maylon: Udall Park…we had a picnic.
Maria: I made waffles…that was the second time we had like hung out one-on-one in person, but we had been video calling so much and just talking all the time. I consider that to be our first date.

Q: What is your favorite thing about your partner?

Maylon: Her positivity… she always knows what to say. When I’m feeling down she can always make me happy.
Maria: I love that I can talk to him and be my authentic self around him. There are a lot of parts that I don’t really tell anybody. I talk a lot, but I don’t tell people stuff about myself and I can just open up completely… I don’t have to hold anything back, and he makes me feel comfortable and… confident.

Q: What’s a favorite memory you guys share?

Maria: When we were in Mr. Warren’s class and I had to pick a song for him. I was so nervous because I had to pick a song to play him … I was so nervous because his music taste was just so superior and mine was so bad. So I was loooking for so long and it was funny. I can’t remember what song I played.”
Maylon: It was good, obviously it worked.
Maylon: When her mom took us to California. Just one day, we spent the whole day at the beach. It was so much fun.

Q: Is there a song that reminds you of the other? 

Maylon: A song that really reminds me of her is Telephones by Vacation. It is a very soft song, but it instantly makes me think of her.
Maria: Wild Irish Roses by Simno because he showed me that song. There was a time before I think we were still talking and I missed him so much… and I would just listen to that song and it would remind me of him. Hammy Downs by Mac Miller because we were going to dance to that song if we won. It is still a banger song.

Q: What is something that your partner does that annoys you? 

Maria: It’s only when he is down on himself. He is really hard on himself and that doesn’t really annoy me per-say.
Maylon: Anything that can be considered an issue is not her fault and I recognize that. I don’t get to spend enough time with her, but I know that’s not on her.

Q: Who is most likely to forget your guys’ anniversary date? 

Maylon: Apparently either of us.

Q: What does love mean to you? 

Maria:Being able to be completely myself and being able to share my thoughts, and my thought process I guess you can say. I can tell him anything; I feel like he would understand.
Maylon: I know everything is secure. I have 100% trust in her in anything. I don’t really know how to describe it.
Maria: It’s very abstract.
Maylon: Yes it is. It’s just like an amalgamation of feelings.

Q: Any advice to any other couples? 

Maylon: Communication. If you build a good base of communication at the very beginning it will help you out in the end.
Maria: Saying things even if you don’t think will mean anything, could mean something later. So as long as you talk through and say hey this is how I feel.