With around 1,300 students in the building, passing faces in the hall can blur together. It can be easy to forget that everyone has an individual story. It’s the minute details of everyone’s lives that can shape them and make them human. Inspired by photographer Brandon Stanton’s Humans of New York, these are the People of DHS.

“I’m excited to see it all,” junior Kade Strzynski said. “I guess just I’m ready to start life. [High school] is a wicked but necessary evil because it’s preparing me for all that, but do I want to be here? Not necessarily..”

While Strzynski is excited about his future, he also cherishes the people closest to him in the present.

“My grandma, she’s been there for me, supporting me,” Strzynski said.  “She’s my influence for life. And I guess my boyfriend’s been pushing me through life so far.” Strzynski said.

School isn’t the biggest thing in Strzynski’s life, but because of his family, he works harder in school than he would otherwise.

“I would not care about school if it wasn’t for them,” Strzynski said. “I could always end up in a skill job and I wouldn’t really have to do much, but because of them, I should pursue my potential. I could do so much more.”

With his supportive family in mind, Strzynski believes it’s important to cherish the little things in life as much as the big things.

“Enjoy the small stuff, honestly,” Strzynski said. “Sometimes people are so focused on the big picture, and if you just rush through it you’re going to be dead eventually. So just take your time, smell the roses. One day, I just realized it’s not worth it. [The big picture] is not worth stressing over so much when you can just enjoy the small stuff that you see. If it’s snowing appreciate its beauty. You might never see it again.”