Search Interviews

Covering topics from family to teaching at a CPS school.

One Small Step partners Annette Bergins (86) and Jim Chojnacki [no age given] discuss how formative experiences with their families and the neighborhoods they grew up in influence their political views.

Sarah Justus (24) interviews her grandmother Rosa Benedicto (77) about Rosa's immigration from Ciuadad Juarez, Mexico to Chicago, Illinois. Rosa would eventually settle in El Paso, Texas. The pair also discuss Rosa's marriage and love story with her late husband.

MJ "Joy" Gude (55) talks with her stepfather Hoyland Ricks (74) about their memories of growing up.

This is a interview of my grandmother Stacy Smith about her life, and and our families heritage.

Anna Katter (35) interviews Dr. Julie Larsen (65) about memories of her son and Anna's partner, Dr. Ben Larsen, who died in a drowning accident on October 10, 2020. Memories include Ben's love for nature conservation, water sports, and the...

Father Frank DeSiano calls himself a "lifer." He entered the Paulist junior seminary as a teenager. That was more than 45 years ago. He's a noted leader in evangelization or sharing of the Catholic faith. Father Frank has been the...

Life of my mother growing up as a kid and meeting friends who meant alot to her as a child. My mother growing up into a mature young adult who met my father at a young age. Also telling stories...

a story of a tragedy in Jan Keith's life

Deborah Davidson (68) sits down with her friend Patricia Thomas Ivery (63) to ask about Patricia's childhood, the wisdom that she has gained throughout her life, and the dreams that she still hopes to achieve.

Sandy and Lenny Spiegel tell about their determination to pursue higher education despite socio-economic challenges. A surprising union - Sandy, a social worker and Lenny, a physicist - met each other in Chicago in the late 1980s and followed their...

One Small Step conversation partners Patty (40) and Justin (32) have a conversation about their recent weddings, dogs, and families. They bond over both getting married recently and having connections to Chicago. Justin describes his large wedding in Savannah, while...

Husband and wife, Anthony Buralli (32) and Annabella Vidal-Ruiz (32), talk about their experience during COVID as spouses and Annabelle as a nurse working in a hospital.

McKenna Torres (25) and her husband, Jim Torres (26), reflect and share anecdotes on their varying roles being students, teachers, and now a married couple.

Imani Johnson (21) talks to her father, Kevin Johnson (51) about his experiences growing up in Chicago and how these experiences shaped him into the man he is today. They talked about his childhood, family, and his life as a...

Veronica shares her story, from running away from an abusive mother and relying on a cruel man to finding help and working toward a nursing degree.

Jill Schmidt (68) interviews her brother, John "Jack" Badke (76) about his experiences in the Vietnam War.

Tammam "Tom" Abouassaf (53) talks with his daughter Amal Abouassaf (21) about immigrating to the United States, his experience of culture shock, and what he is most proud of in his life.

Harper Schaberg(16) talks with Norma Schaberg(92) about her parents and how she was raised. She talks about what she wish she did different, how unsupervised life was, and growing up in the West side of Chicago.

Me and my grandma talk about her life.

Mark Braden (71) and his uncle Burly Brellenthin (97) discuss Burly's experiences farming, in school, serving in the military, and working at a Chevy dealership.

One Small Step partners Jim Waszak (69) and Erika J (38) discuss their upbringings, the kindest people in their lives, and their economic beliefs.

The photo featured here is from 1992, our first year together. When Stonewall happened, neither of us knew. We became a couple in Chicago 23 years later. The chorus of CeCe Peniston's "Finally," a tune that was popular during our...

Athena Miller, 8th grade, interviews her grandfather, Tom Zemrowski ("Pops"), about how he met her late grandmother ("Gramzie") at Purdue University in 1965. Other interesting glimpses of his past are revealed as well. Recorded during Thanksgiving 2021.

Siblings Ambar Rizwan (36) and Daanish Rizwan [no age given] discuss their childhoods, going to a predominately white High School, and expectations from their parents. Daanish describes his UX work and his efforts to bring about representation and inclusion. Ambar...