FACES IN FOCUS

As graduation slowly approaches, seniors at Kirkwood High School begin to wrap up their high school careers and prepare for the next chapter of their lives. After four long years within these walls, I find myself reflecting on the experiences, memories and people I’ve come to know along the way, but with nearly 500 kids in our grade alone, I can truly say I only really know about 10 of them. Seven hundred and twenty, that’s roughly how many days we’ve spent walking past faces we see five days a week but don’t truly know. You might know their name, who their friends are or most importantly if they went to North or Nipher, but do you know their story? 

 

 “Faces In Focus” was created to tell the stories of the “other.” To capture the vulnerability of students within Kirkwood High School and to prove the power of sharing your story. Conforming to society's standards and being someone you’re not has become a part of everyday life for our generation. This has been a recurring issue that's gotten a little bit too “normal”. Sharing our stories, being vulnerable with our community and communicating our struggles with others, has the capability to prevent the overwhelming feeling of loneliness, reduce the large amounts of hatred and judgment and make room for more empathy, kindness and compassion within our school, making it overall a happier place to learn and spend our time. After spending years hiding behind masks, and reading people through eyes, we have become more separated now than ever before. My goal is to break down the barriers Covid-19 has set for our community and finally see everyone's Faces In Focus.