Search Interviews

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.

Karol Kennedy (59) talks with her mother, Kristina "Kris" Young Smirl (83), about her childhood, parenting, memories, jobs, and hobbies.

Aidan Bank (14) talks with his mother, Elysa Jimenez (33) about her life being a young mother and how she overcame challenges.

This interview captures a fraction of his experience growing up in the city of Chicago, parenting, and other memories he holds. He shares the most valuable lessons he has learned over the years and stresses the importance of loving your...

Since 2002, Aisha has received support from La Casa Norte. From housing advocacy to helping her receive full custody of her child, they have been a stable support for her for years.

My Grandfather, John Grey, has had an interesting upbringing moving from place to place with his family. He was raised as a young child in Chicago Illinois, and later moved to Dallas Texas with his family. In this interview, Me...

Marc Paprzyca (69) and spouse Sylvia Paprzyca (67) talk about life in Chicago and retiring to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. They talked about leaving the hustle and bustle of the city life and returning to a resort town.

Christopher "Chris" Conkell (33) speaks with father, William "Bill" Conkell (74), about his life as a Secret Service agent and health challenges.

The person I interviewed was my mom because of her background I felt she would have good stories to tell us. Throughout the interview she talked about her childhood,struggles, and family struggles. Welcome to her life and being part of...

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.

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.

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

a story of a tragedy in Jan Keith's life

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...

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...

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.

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.

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.

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.

English Advanced Honors Project Interviewing Elders

One Small Step conversation partners Jill White (52) and Holly [No Name Give] (55) exchange their lived experiences and find many parallels. They relate as mothers over having children struggling on social media, considering online learning, and being independent thinkers.

Me and my grandma talk about her life.

Twin sisters Rhonda Winters (47) and Rebecca "Becki" Kuchenberg (47) share memories of small town life.

My cousin takes a lot of advice from his family and uses it to better his day to day life. He enjoys learning in school and figuring out new activities as well as helping others in the process. He also...