Humans of City High

Q: Do you have any stories you want to tell us? A: At [Jewish] camp, [there’s] this thing that we do every Thursday night: Everybody goes into this library area. And we all sit there. It’s like, 60 to 70 people. It’s dark and it’s overlooking the lake. And it’s really pretty. They always have fairy lights. And we all sing songs for 45 minutes together. I really like how it builds a comm...

Q: What are you most afraid of right now? A: I'm most afraid of failure. Q: Has there ever been pressure from your household or from other students to pursue academics? A: Definitely. My parents, [they] are immigrants. They're so strict, and they're Arab, too. They've always pushed me to like college, get a good degree, get a good job, and all that. Q: Do you want to tell us a bit about h...

Q: Who is the most influential person in your life right now? A: Probably my brother. He joined the military not long ago. He just came back from deployment after a year and a half. And he just got his first house and first car. He's always been there for me and he's always rooting for me. A big person in my life.  Q: Do you have any stories about him? A: There was this one. He didn't ...

Q: What are you currently struggling with? A: Do you want me to get personal? I have terrible anxiety and self-doubt. That is really overwhelming. I listen to music I can scream my head off to. To, you know, [cope]. Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix.  Q: How do you connect with people? A: I tend to find the right people; I just get connected to them. This band called “Luna'' played in Chicago a...

Q: What’s your full name?  A: Alexei Miriam Hockenberg.  Q: How about you talk about your name?  A: So my legal name is Frieda, Frieda Kenyon Brown. My parents talked a lot as I was growing up about Frida Kahlo because I was named after Frida Kahlo. I  didn't identify with her, her art just kind of wasn't my style. It was the way that my name was very much hers. It felt like the name wasn...