“High School Musical”'s KayCee Stroh on the Costar Who 'Saved' Her — and Which Other Castmates She Still Texts (Exclusive)

KayCee Stroh starred in the franchise as Martha Cox

It's been almost 19 years since High School Musical first premiered, but the cast members' relationships off-camera are still going strong — especially for KayCee Stroh, who starred in the franchise as Martha Cox, a student at East High with a passion for both school and dance.

PEOPLE recently caught up with Stroh, 40, now married and a mom of two daughters living in Salt Lake City, to learn more about what she's been up to since her Disney Channel days. During the interview, she revealed which actors from the film she still keeps in touch with, and how she credits social media for helping strengthen their bonds.

"I would say I'm very close with Monique Coleman, who played Taylor. My girls even call her Aunt Mo. She’s been to our house many times — I love Mo," Stroh says. "I'm also very close with Bart Johnson, who plays Coach Bolton. It’s funny because online people think it’s the strangest friendship. They wouldn’t have imagined Martha and Coach being besties, but we actually have a long history."

Stroh goes on to explain how her friendship with Johnson blossomed after she moved to Los Angeles to pursue acting. Shortly after moving, she walked into a local church and unexpectedly bumped into Johnson. From that moment on, he took her under his wing.

"He saved me," she says. "I was so nervous and felt like a fish out of water. I was like, 'Thank you so much.' He made me feel less alone."

Related: Meet the Real-Life Loves (and Cute Kids!) of the High School Musical Cast

But these two friendships aren’t the only ones from the film that Stroh cherishes. Thanks to social media, she’s also stayed in touch with Lucas Grabeel, who played Ryan Evans, and Corbin Bleu, who portrayed Chad Danforth. In October, she reconnected with the two of them in person, along with Johnson, for a High School Musical fan event and autograph signing.

"I feel like the four of us, especially, have stayed really, really tight," she says.

"We’re very real and authentic friends, texting or calling each other to share whether we’re having a hard time or a great time," she adds. "We’re each other’s biggest cheerleaders. It’s a huge blessing to have friends like that."

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While some of her former castmates she doesn't keep in touch with as frequently, such Ashely Tisdale and Vanessa Hudgens, who are both new moms she says having been the first cast member to become a parent, welcoming her daughters in May 2013 and October 2015, she's open to helping them through parenting, too.

"I was way, way, way ahead of them," she says. "It's kind of nice because I feel like I went first and lived through all the mom moments, so now I can help out," Stroh says. "They can call me and ask, 'Is this normal?' And I'm like, 'Sure, guys. This is what's going on. You're going through this stage right now.' "

"So yeah, it’s nice. I went through the motherhood part first for them. I’m always here for advice, ladies. Always here!" she adds.

Related: 'High School Musical' Cast: Where Are They Now?

Looking back, Stroh reflects on the time filming High School Musical 2, noting how the cast bonded more than ever while living together at a resort during the shoot. For this reason, this film was her favorite to film.

"We were all attached to these little casitas, so our doors connected the 10 main cast members. We could pop into each other's rooms, and I could make dinner for Zac [Efron] or help Ashley [Tisdale] with her laundry and things like that," she recalls. "It was the first time we all lived together. A lot of the cast were L.A. locals, and some of us were from Utah, so we were all fish out of water at summer camp."

She continues, "But I will say, watching the third one back — it’s been a while. My kids asked to watch it, so we watched it together, and I was like, 'This is so good!' I'm looking at it with different eyes now. The songs are absolutely beautiful, the lyrics are timeless, and the dance numbers were phenomenal. I’m like, ‘Wow, we really did something special here.’ "

@kaycstroh

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