Better Together is a feature that showcases students  and staff members who make each better through leadership practices.

Josephine Hernandez-Lou & Kinnadi Dennis

OCTOBER BETTER TOGETHER 

Two 11th graders continue their journey with each other as they go through the WYWLA early college experience, here is their story...  

Kinnadi and I first met in 7th grade, and we shared some classes and floated around in similar groups. Later, we would become closer in 8th grade. We were in the same circles and in the same group chats. So, we started out as friends through that. Later, we realized that we were very similar despite having different interests. Once that happened, we became really close friends. Kinnadi is incredibly kind and compassionate towards others. She is a natural protector, and I greatly admire that about her. She is also a great listener and is always willing to meet friends where they are at. Kinnadi helps me refocus and center myself when classwork becomes difficult. She also inspires me to listen and help out my friends as much as she does. We encourage each other when we need it by helping each other with studying or classwork, going out to shop together, and sending funny Pinterest posts back and forth. We also share similar personalities and outlooks on the world.

-Josephine Hernandez-Lou, 11th grade 

Josie and I met each other in the fall of our seventh-grade year. It was her first year at WYWLA, and it was my second year at WYWLA. This was our first year back to in-person school after the COVID-19 lockdown. We became friends via a big friend group. However, we became really good friends during the summer after eighth grade and in ninth grade. I would describe Josie as an introvert who has a sparkling personality once you get to know her. She is also a very insightful person, as she knows about so many interesting things. Last, but not least, Josie is passionate when she is invested in something. When she cares about someone, she pours her heart into them. We lift each other up by being each other's rock. When something happens to the other, we tend to be the other's confidant. We often listen, give advice, and applaud each other. Outside of school hours, Josie and I call, text, go to friends' houses, go to the mall together, and study together. We spend most of our time texting, studying, and shopping together. We share our compassion, a desire for knowledge, and a love for niche topics.

-Kinnadi Dennis, 11th grade

Hana Muneer & Aanya Poudyal

OCTOBER BETTER TOGETHER 

Two 8th graders brought together through WYWLA continue their middle school journey together, lets hear their story...

We first met in Ms. Cornwright's class in sixth grade. We became good friends because of all the similarities we share. Despite our initial differences, we have so much in common, such as liking the same movies and having similar cultural ties; Hana's from Pakistan, and I'm from Nepal, which we bonded over. Hana is cool, loyal, good-natured, a devoted metalhead, politically strong, and an overall great friend. She's reassuring and lifts me up when times get tough. She's got the best song recommendations and is someone I turn to when I need a new tune. We lift each other up by encouraging each other to do our best in life. We hang out with each other, strengthening our bond as friends. One thing that connects us is that we are both South Asian, so we share a similar culture. We both enjoy reading, music, and food.

-Aanya Poudyal, 8th grade 

We met in the 6th grade. We ended up bonding over liking the same movies and TV shows, and sharing cultural experiences and similarities. Aanya is kind and is there for me when I need her most. We share a similar sense of humor, and she's compassionate towards everyone she meets. She likes reading and has the best book recommendations. We share a love of music, even though I love metal and she has a more general music taste. We encourage each other to be the best people we can be. We call, hang out, listen to music together,  and bond over South Asian movies. 

-Hana Muneer, 8th grade