Dr. Brandon Maguire & Mrs. Becky Maguire

For Dr. Brandon Maguire, loving Ms. Becky Maguire has always been easy. The moment he walked into his friend’s college dorm room, he saw her for the first time. Sitting with her friends, she shone, standing out. He goes on, “and then we all went out that night, and then halfway through the night, I looked at my friends and said, ‘yeah, I want to marry her. No more dating anyone. I want to marry her.’” His certainty was unmistakable: as soon as he saw her, he’d fallen in love. Dr. Maguire recalled, “You know, like TV shows… all the tension was there, that was us. Our friends wanted us to get together, but they didn’t want us to get together because they liked the drama when we weren’t together.” After a couple months of back and forth, with tension building between every interaction and friends cheering on from the sidelines, they finally began dating. 

Now, after more than two decades into their marriage, the Maguires share not only their home but also their work at Taipei American School (TAS). At TAS, Dr. Maguire works as the Upper School Dean of Student Life, and Ms. Maguire works as a Middle School STEAM Coordinator. During the day, they work separately and rarely get to see each other. Even so, Dr. Maguire says that he likes working knowing that his favorite person is just a building or two away.

Sometimes, if you’re lucky, you might catch a glimpse of them eating lunch together. 

Of course, being a teacher couple working at the same school comes with its benefits and challenges, especially at international schools. Many international schools like TAS enjoy hiring couples who can fill multiple roles at once; however, there are also times when there just isn’t enough space or opportunities for both. Luckily, at TAS, it worked out perfectly. 

When students find out that the Maguires are married, they often ask for stories about their life together. Ms. Maguire likes to share a memory from one of their first dates in a 1990s bowling alley, recalling the moment she accidentally rolled the ball backwards, “like in Wii bowling!” 

Overall, Dr. Maguire can’t think of a single word that could sum up their relationship. Between them, they share so many memories that the only word that truly captures it is “love.”

Ms. Abigail Chen & Mr. David Montgomery

Love is always blooming at TAS. For students, it grows in the cafeteria, whispers in the library, and dances in the courtyard. For Upper School English Department Chair Mr. David Montgomery and English teacher Ms. Abigail Chen, their relationship started quietly, tucked away in the English office. 

Their story started with department meetings and opposite schedules, walking past each other in the halls with barely a glance. After a year of minimal interactions, Cupid finally decided to intervene. In their case, Cupid was Dr. Maguire, who was the then-history department chair. His arrows struck in the form of a History and English Department social event, where Ms. Chen and Mr. Montgomery first officially started talking. At first, Ms. Chen was unconvinced. Her first impression? He seemed “a little bit arrogant… but that’s because [I] didn’t know him that well.” As they spent more time together, that impression proved wrong time and time again. She grew to admire “his incredible sense of responsibility,” while Mr. Montgomery says that “her sense of humor” is one of the qualities he loves most. Even after years of marriage, they continue to admire each other, finding new reasons every day.

Once they began dating, their future was quick to come into focus. They immediately clicked. Everything felt “natural, comfortable and easy,” Mr. Montgomery reflected, “I think we complemented each other really well in our strengths and our interests.” Similarly, Ms. Chen was certain that he was the one. She even remembers writing in her journal, “I think this is the man I’m going to marry.”

Working in the same department at the same school, there are both advantages and challenges. For them, they quickly realized the importance of “separating school from personal life,” Ms. Chen explained, especially in their conversations and at home. Despite this, they enjoy sharing the same schedules and breaks, especially since they get to travel together as a family. 

For students, Mr. Montgomery and Ms. Chen shared a few important tips for keeping a healthy relationship: clear communication, balance and staying true to oneself. Mr. Montgomery highlighted the importance of being clear about boundaries in high school relationships and “making sure that your relationships aren’t all-consuming.” In addition, “relationships don’t have to be dramatic or intense to be meaningful,” Ms. Chen advised. Staying true to yourself and making sure that you feel comfortable and respected is key.  

At TAS, where love is always just around the corner, their relationship serves as a reminder to us that love feels just like home. 

Mr. Gabriel Castro & Ms. Kismeth Caminero

This story doesn’t start in a classroom, a staff meeting, or even in the same country, but 30,000 feet in the air. A forever fan favorite, Mr. Gabriel Castro is known for his lighthearted jokes, fast-paced humor, and ability to turn even the most intimidating math lesson into something students actually enjoy.

But before Mr. Castro became an integral part of the TAS community, he met the love of his life, Ms. Kismeth Caminero, in the most unreal way. The couple officially met in 2018, in Medellin, Colombia, where they were both starting their new teaching positions at the same school. In a coincidence that’s too good to be accidental, they were on the same flight from New York to Colombia, completely unaware that their lives were going to be forever changed. 

One of the most memorable moments in their relationship was early on their journey. The two were out on a hike, casually talking about life and the future, when Ms. Caminero suddenly asked, “So are you going to be my boyfriend, or what?” And just like that, they were dating. Years later, that same energy showed up again when Mr. Castro was ready to take their relationship to the next level, where he planned out a whole day to propose to Ms. Caminero. Ms. Caminero ended up not feeling well in the morning when she woke up, but Mr. Castro decided to stick with the plan anyways. Just before he was about to ask the suspenseful question, she looked at him and said, “Wait, don’t tell me you’re about to propose to me.” 

He did—and she said yes. Nothing about the proposal was dramatic or flawlessly timed, but it was imperfectly perfect and completely them.

When asked what they most admire about each other, their responses show exactly how their personalities and energies balance out one another. Ms. Caminero’s favorite thing about Mr. Castro is that he is 100% authentically himself in the most positive, energetic way, even when she occasionally tells him to reel it in. Mr. Castro, on the other hand, loves Ms. Caminero’s ability to bring a sense of calm to his life. No matter the type of day he is having, Ms. Caminero knows all the right things to say to make Mr. Castro feel better. 

As for plans on Valentine’s Day, the couple keeps their low-pressure and easygoing vibe. After all, it’s never been in their nature to plan around an event or make a big deal out of anything. “When is it? Haha!” they joked. Most years, the two don’t usually have big plans for the holiday—but with grandparents visiting this year to see their daughter, the two lovebirds might have a date or two planned up their sleeves!

In the end, Mr. Castro and Ms. Caminero’s relationship isn’t defined by perfectly planned-out moments or grand gestures, but by the trips they take, the memories they collect, and the laughs they share—reminding us that love doesn’t always need a script to feel real.