Mr. Glowinski and Mr. Beirne have developed a great friendship at Montini after years of working together and being next-door neighbors. Interestingly enough, Mr. Glowinski and Mr. Beirne did not first meet at, or through, Montini. Instead, they met when Mr. Glowinski was moving into the house right next to Mr. Beirne’s. They, as well as their families, instantly became well acquainted and close. While they don't interact much at Montini anymore because of Mr. Beirne's new position in De La Salle Hall, their relationship stays strong because of their proximity in what they call “The Small Block.” Now, they are always in each other's yards, and Mr. Glowinski’s children can often be found on Mr. Beirne's lawn playing with his dog, Davie. When asked, Mr. Beirne said that he admires Mr. Glowinski’s authenticity, seeing as he is the same genuine person in class, at Montini, and in their home lives. Mr. Glowinski, in return, said that he admires Mr. Beirne's leadership. He saw firsthand how Mr. Beirne was able to lead everyone during the extremely difficult time of COVID-19. Overall, while Mr. Glowinski and Mr. Beirne initially worried that working together would change their friendship, they now realize that they were able to maintain​ - and even strengthen​ -their relationship (and their mutual love for bow ties) during their time at Montini.

Mrs. Miller and Mrs. Pittenger have been “besties” for many years now and thank Montini for their close relationship. They both began teaching at Montini in the same year and met at a new teacher training session when Mrs. Pittenger corrected Mrs. Miller’s spelling. At this training, they also bonded over their matching paper planners from Paper Source. Ever since then, these two have been “locked in.” Over the years, Mrs. P. and Mrs. Miller have been through many highs and lows, which have only strengthened their relationship. One memory they love to highlight is what they call “Bestie Fridays.” On these days, they go to Starbucks; one drives, and the other buys the drinks. Specifically, they both always order the same drink: a tall black coffee in a venti cup, filled the rest of the way with cold water. This pair has also bonded over their similar political and moral stances, along with their shared sense of humor. As far as differences, Mrs. P.’s fashion choices are very colorful, while Mrs. Miller is typically seen wearing black or darker colors. At the end of the day, Mrs. P. and Mrs. Miller have built a vibrant, lasting friendship during their time at Montini.

Ms. Martinello and Ms. Herrmann quickly became very close due to being the newest and youngest teachers at Montini. Ms. Martinello ’17 and Ms. Herrmann ’19 had known of each other from their overlapping years as students at Montini, but they really became close through their orientation meetings when they first started teaching at Montini in 2023. One of Ms. Martinello’s first impressions of Ms. Herrmann was when she walked into Ms. Herrmann’s room and found her putting on a Band-Aid. Ms. Herrmann had been trying to set up her room and had stubbed her toe in the process. In terms of their friendship, Ms. Herrmann is a good listener, and Ms. Martinello is honest. They both enjoy joking with students and telling them that the other teacher is in a bad mood and created a very hard test. Finally, one memory that they will never forget is when Ms. Martinello bet Ms. Herrmann that she wouldn’t go sing the school song in front of the student section at a football game, and Ms. Herrmann actually did (for $10, of course).

Mr. and Mrs. Block created a strong connection through working at Montini; they eventually turned their friendship into a long-lasting bond of marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Block’s friendship and relationship began when they started dating. To Mrs. Block, Mr. Block seemed kind and true to himself, and Mrs. Block was always easy to talk to for Mr. Block. One of their funniest moments was when Mrs. Block revealed to her seniors that she was engaged after Mr. Block had previously told them that he had a girlfriend. The seniors’ reactions were priceless when they realized that Mrs. Block was the girlfriend Mr. Block had been talking about. Over time, the Blocks’ friendship has matured into a flexible, supportive, and faithful relationship. They’ve bonded over their shared faith, calm demeanors, and values. On the other hand, Mr. Block procrastinates and is more cluttered, while Mrs. Block is extremely organized. Now, Mrs. Block especially admires her husband’s strong faith, ability to put others first, and passion for teaching. In turn, Mr. Block admires Mrs. Block for her hardworking nature, especially with regard to her career, as well as for being the strong, faithful mother she is to their son, Dominic. (They got married in 2022!)

Through coaching and their shared goals, Mr. Brechtel and Mr. Zasso have built a strong bond at Montini. Mr. Brechtel and Mr. Zasso first met through cross country when Mr. Brechtel was already part of the program at Montini. They have now worked together for nine years and have become a great coaching duo. Their strengths balance each other out well: Mr. Zasso is the numbers guy who focuses on stats and strategy, while Mr. Brechtel is the person who connects with athletes and keeps them motivated. One of their favorite memories was at the State meet when an athlete was running in the last qualifying spot. They were sitting next to each other in the bleachers, yelling encouragement to the athlete, who ended up finishing ninth overall and earning All-State honors. After nine years, it is clear that Mr. Zasso and Mr. Brechtel’s strong friendship has made a lasting impact on both the cross country and track programs.

Victor, Stephanie, Evan, Tamara, and Ahmyah, Montini's lunch crew, have all grown very close while working together and have also been able to overcome some difficult obstacles. While they didn’t all meet at the same time, they have become like family. Especially when they’re short-staffed, the lunch crew realizes just how important it is to be able to rely on one another as friends. They all admire that when someone says they’ll do something, they get it done. They would describe their friendship as “a family making it work.” This is because they know they’re not perfect but feel as close as a family. Their funniest moment together was when everything was going perfectly and the food was ready, but then, unexpectedly, the kitchen started flooding. They had to use many towels and mops just to get everything dry, and they still managed to serve lunch on time that day. Their friendship has grown stronger because they now respect each other even more. And if their friendship could have a theme song, they would pick “Steve’s Lava Chicken” from Minecraft. Ultimately, the lunch crew at Montini is a family that sticks together, no matter what.

Mr. Krystof and Mrs. McManus first met when they were co-teaching a 42-person Algebra 2 class, and ever since then, they have been very close. When Mrs. McManus met Mr. Krystof, he always seemed to have the right math answers. Now, she has grown to truly admire his combination of humor and high standards. To Mr. Krystof, Mrs. McManus seemed extremely enthusiastic when they first met. Over the years, Mr. Krystof has especially come to admire that Mrs. McManus always puts in extra work, getting to school every morning at 5:30 a.m. to be there for her math students. On the whole, they see their friendship as humorous, intellectual, and uplifting. One of their funniest moments together was when Mrs. McManus had a knee injury and Mr. Krystof bought her a walking cane. She refused to use it and instead threw it at him. Another time, Mrs. McManus collected sticky notes during the pandemic and filled Mr. Krystof’s room with them while he was on retreat. Over time, the pair has gone from being very collegial to knowing each other’s families and being able to goof around with one another, even getting dinner before or after Math Team. In all, Mr. Krystof and Mrs. McManus are united by the fact that they love math and laughing, as well as their families and students. Their friendship is like the song “You’ve Got a Friend in Me” from Toy Story.