Have you ever heard of the Humans of New York or Humans of St. Louis social media movement? As a spin-off of this initiative, Middle School History Teacher Kayla Helton and Middle School Spanish Teacher Marcela Casco-Lee offered a Humans of MICDS Winter Term course in early January. For this class, seventh and eighth graders had the opportunity to capture the unique narratives of their peers, teachers, and staff members through photography, interviews, and storytelling.
Ms. Helton shared a bit of her own story as the inspiration behind the creation of this course. “As a former public school teacher, I experienced firsthand the stereotyping of both my students and the community where I worked,” she explained. “These stereotypes often stemmed from ‘single stories’—isolated narratives or incidents reported in the media or elsewhere that were unfairly generalized to an entire community or student body. I found this deeply unjust and sought ways to challenge such perceptions by highlighting my students’ unique identities, talents, and stories. My goal was to help others better understand and appreciate perspectives shaped by experiences different from their own.
“Inspired by the honest and empathetic storytelling approaches of Humans of New York and Humans of St. Louis, I wanted my students to step outside their comfort zones and engage with others in a similar way—by asking genuine questions and listening without judgment or preconceived notions. This led to the creation of Humans of MICDS.
“Like public schools, private education often carries its own set of stereotypes that fail to capture the rich diversity within institutions like MICDS. Humans of MICDS was designed not only to enhance students’ creative and communication skills but also to foster empathy and unity within our school community. Through this Winter Term course, I hope participants will become active contributors to the ongoing narrative of MICDS, celebrating diversity, building stronger connections, and creating a shared sense of identity.”
The seventh and eighth graders in this course visited classrooms across campus to conduct meaningful interviews with students, teachers, and staff. By the end of the course, several Rams were featured in Humans of MICDS stories created by the Middle Schoolers.
Check out some samples of the narratives that the 2025 Winter Term students captured!
Sample Stories:
A few students took a moment to reflect on this course. “Throughout Humans of MICDS, I have learned how everybody has a story and how it is important to let them share it,” Johanna Sanchez ’30 described. “One challenge I had was encouraging people to share their stories. I learned through this struggle that people’s stories don’t always have to expose them but instead show what type of person they are.”
Other students discovered newfound interests through this class. “I learned that I really enjoy interviewing and journalism,” Rosie Kelley ’30 exclaimed. “I already knew I liked photography!” Noelle Bryan ’30 shared, “I learned how to create a deep and productive conversation. I chose this course because it was recommended to me by some friends who took it last year. It was definitely hard getting good information, especially because whoever we interviewed might not have known us. Overall, I loved the process of interviewing people because it gave me a great perspective.”
Bravo to the humans of MICDS who showcased these fellow Rams and their stories to the greater School community! More of their stories can be found here (please note that this year’s stories will be added in the upcoming days)!