HANCOCK PARK, Calif. – Picking something as simple as a color means a lot to Syd Brown.
“I know everyone really well, so I know what colors they like,” said Brown.
This Hancock Park resident and Oakwood High School senior wants to represent the personalities of her neighbors and fellow seniors, even if it is just through the designs on these digital posts she’s creating.
“That’s why it feels so much more personal when I’m making these sorts of things, because how close our community is,” said Brown.
Larchmont Village has an Instagram page to promote local businesses, but since the community is so tight knit, they decided to also honor the Larchmont and Hancock park seniors this year for all their accomplishments that were cut too short. Brown is volunteering her time to make these special tributes for each graduate who wants to participate.
“I’m also a senior. I feel it too. I know how good it must feel to see your face on the Larchmont Village Instagram and say like, ‘Hey, some people appreciate me.’ Because I was yearning for that appreciation when everything came crashing down,” said Brown.
Her childhood friends may all go to different high schools and will be missing out on their individual proms and graduations, but at least they have each other, their community, and these simple posts to support them through this time.
“Perhaps if their school wasn’t doing something like that, they deserve to have a little twinge of appreciation. If that twinge has to be in the form of an Instagram post, and that’s all we can do, then that’s what we should do,” said Brown.
This is part of Brown’s send off to her community, as in the fall she will be leaving, what she calls her “Hancock Park bubble,” and heading across the country to start college.
“I am terrified, but equally excited,” said Brown.
Excited to start a new journey, even though the future of her fellow seniors is still unknown.
“I think that the best thing that anyone can do in this sort of weird uncharted territory is really just try to remain positive. I think all that we can really do is remain cautiously hopeful,” said Brown.
Remain positive, cautiously hopefully and appreciated as their senior year comes to an end.