In honor of Valentine’s Day, think back to your first grade class and who your classmates were. Did you get a special Valentine from one of them? Did you think you would marry one of them someday? 

If you were in the Class of 1999, you may have predicted a happily ever after for two of your classmates. It was no surprise to many when Johnny Hutcheson and Heather Hendrix married after being friends since first grade.

Now, the Hutchesons, who both graduated in 1999, are parents of Savannah, who is in JPK this year and the fourth generation of the Hutcheson family to attend Bright. They said it is “surreal” to be back at Bright as parents. Johnny’s father, John IV ‘74, and grandfather, John III ‘41, graduated from Bright.

“We met in Mrs. Cutrer’s first grade class,” Johnny recalled. “We were friends and played on the Hill together,” Heather said. They remembered sending “Peggy the Penguin” to Antarctica and Johnny being interviewed on the local TV news, learning about the solar system and their play, “Christmas Around the World,” in which Johnny played Santa Claus. They credit the Cutrers for meeting each other and have remained in touch. (Bob Cutrer was a P.E. teacher at Bright for many years, and Carol Cutrer taught P.E. and first grade. Their daughter, Casey, graduated in 1985.)

As for Valentine’s Day at Bright School, both remembered receiving Valentines because everyone sends and receives cards, but Johnny said he was “always nervous he would not get a Valentine. I always looked forward to seeing if she gave me one.”

After Bright School graduation, they went to separate schools, Heather to GPS and Johnny to McCallie, but they remained close and started “dating” in seventh grade as much as that was possible. “I tried to do anything she was doing to see each other as much as we could,” he said. 

They were both involved in sports. Johnny played football, wrestled and ran track, and Heather was on the crew team. They both participated in Candelight performances at McCallie. Johnny introduced Heather for her Chapel Talk at GPS, and apparently the way he did that made people think he had proposed. “Already, people thought we were going to get married,” he said. But no, that would come later.

After high school, they both went to Berry College. Heather then went to pharmacy school at Mercer and did her rotations back in Tennessee.. The proposal was Labor Day weekend in 2011 at the Atlanta Botanical Garden, and they got married at Lake Lanier in 2012. Heather finished school in 2013, and they moved back to Chattanooga. 

When Savannah was born and became old enough for school, there was no question where she would go. “We get to relive the Bright School experience, the picnic, the plays Savannah will be in,” Heather said. “A lot is still the same.” Things that have improved or changed include the eco-literacy program for early childhood, which has provided a greater emphasis being outdoors.

Of course, it’s friendships with classmates and teachers that also remain many years later. “There are some friends you keep forever,” Heather said. That would include each other.