Inspired by the Humans of New York Instagram account that features interviews collected on the streets of New York, MHS student Anvi Arora decided to create her own: Humans of Mason High School - which focuses on celebrating the unique and diverse MHS student body and staff.
Arora moved to Mason her sophomore year, and recognized that it's sometimes hard to get to really know classmates in the large, culturally diverse, high-achieving school. After coming up with the idea, she invited some classmates to help contribute. The Instagram account has since become a collaborative effort with fellow seniors Helena Li and Anushka Mukherjee.
"We decided to start this page because everyone has a story to share. Each one of us has our own unique personality and experiences which help shape who we are, so hopefully this page allows us to share the hidden talents and beautiful personalities of students at Mason High School. We feature students each week and they can share a perspective, an interest, a passion, or anything else that’s on their mind. We hope to connect people by sharing stories," explains Arora.
The page has featured 34 stories so far, including a classmate from Nigeria explaining her love of fufu, a student giving his secret tip for avoiding cheeto dust - using chopsticks, a Latin-American classmate sharing how she navigates "two worlds," and a student explaining her grief following a friend's suicide.
The girls realize that as seniors they don't want their project to die with them. Currently, they are busy recruiting the next generation of Mason High School students who will help tell the unique stories of the people sitting next to them in class, or walking down the hall, who they just haven't had a chance to get to know... yet.
