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Mahendra Shah always wanted to make a “lasting impression” on society. He always wanted to make a change and have a purpose in life. As a child, he believed that having a “last impression” on society was to become a...

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: Long-term Andover resident Tina Girdwood shares her impactful life and dedication to helping her community, from founding the Andover Recycling Program, being a school committee member, and eventually leading the initiative to start the Andover...

Andover Stories of American Identity: Andover resident Kevin O'Leary shares his story about his worldly upbringing, and how it all led to his profession of becoming a psychologist to help wounded veterans heal.

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: Born in Monessen, Pennsylvania, Janis Baron, a teacher, principal, trainer and entrepreneur, shares her extraordinary life and the life lessons she has learned along the way.

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: Elizabeth Walther-Grant, adopted from the Bahamas and raised by an Andover family, talks about growing up in Andover, the racism she faced, and what inspired her to found Merrimack Valley Black and Brown Voices. She...

Divya Singh is an 18-year-old Indian American who is in her senior year at IMPACT Early College High School in Baytown, Texas. Her parents emigrated from India about two years before she was born. Divya discusses what it was like...

Andover Stories of American Identity: a conversation with Janet Hamlin about her extraordinary childhood and life that gives her perspective to be compassionate and passionate.

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: Jim Batchelder, with thirteen generations in Massachusetts, recollects his life growing up in Andover. After becoming a beloved art teacher for many years, and working closely with the Andover Center for History and Culture to...

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: Domino Physicist Peter Bloom reflects about his life from his childhood in Newton to learning to be an effective and impactful educator.

Venkata Duggireddy (17) interviews his mom about the transition between India and the US and the lessons she learned from it. She informs him on how she hopes to use them to help herself and others in the future.

In this interview, told in November 2018, In Egg Harbor Township. Salman Bilgrami interviews his mom Vaseem Bilgrami about how her life was, growing up in India as a little child. She tells stories about how society was run there...

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: IM David Vigorito talks about growing up in Massachusetts, to his brief time in Las Vegas, to returning to his home state. Although he discovered his passion for chess at the later age of 16,...

Sy Barry recounts his story of how he overcame his tough childhood through his passion and love for drawing. Eventually becoming a renowned comic book and comic strip artist, he was able to find success and contentment in both his...

In this interview, conducted on January 5, 2023, in Canton Michigan, Aditi Iyer interviews her grandmother Shantha Dhandapani (70) about her childhood in India and her work life. She talks about the different jobs she worked in and how it...

Andover Stories of American Identity: Born in Compton, California, Ralph Blesdoe, a descendant of slaves, recounts his amazing journey of becoming a beloved science teacher at Andover High School.

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: Seema Gupte, born and raised in India, talks about her childhood living between her family’s farm and in the city. After immigrating to America, she adjusted to the many cultural differences. Once she moved to...

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: With 5 generations in Andover and as a descendant of slaves, Heidi Lawrence sits down with me to talk about her life and legacy. Her family is one of the five original African-American families to...

I conducted this interview as an assignment for my History Class. It focuses on Colonial History. The person I interviewed moved to Philadelphia from India at a young age and his experiences as a current American.

Creating Community Through Sharing Stories: Xi Hua Zhao was born in China, where he lived a happy and modest life. He moved to the United States over a decade ago to help his daughter take care of his grandchild, and...

Andover Stories of American Identity: A thoughtful conversation with Amy Sebell, where she discusses her Jewish heritage, her dedication to helping people, her family, and her love for Andover.

Kelly asks Jesse about his pilgrimage to India he took after college, and how it has impacted his life. Jesse then talks to Kelly about her life through Covid and how it brought her family closer together.

Andover Stories of American Identity: Ursula retells a poignant story of her life of “grit and grace”. She emigrated to America from Budapest, Hungary as a gifted teenager. With classic American opportunities, Ursula became an accomplished published author, lawyer, professor,...

My grandfather Kam Kaza recounts his first journey from India to America that involves a challenge he overcame.

I ask Mohammed about his family and how they got to the U.S, as well as other questions like how he lost so much weight and how he feels about education.

Andover Stories of American Identity: Karen Lew Bouchard discusses her life growing up in Pelham, New Hampshire, her rich Chinese heritage, and her racial identity.