Even though school hasn’t been in session for months, the students at Mt. Spokane High School in the Mead School District north of Spokane have been getting to know each other through the “Humans of Mt. Spokane” pages on Instagram and Facebook.

The effort was launched in May by Conner Jackson, who is starting his senior year this fall. He was inspired by the “Humans of New York” page that included photos and interviews of everyday people.

“My school in California did something similar,” he said. “I was supposed to take that over, but I moved to Washington and figured I’d start one here.”

He enlisted the help of a fellow student, Alyssa Welton, on the project. He said the pandemic that shut down schools gave him an extra push to get going.

“It was definitely a motivator,” he said. “I just wanted to connect people and make sure people stay connected to the school.”

The fact that everyone is isolated from each other makes the page more important, Jackson said.

“There’s no opportunity to get out and get to know people,” he said.

There’s a link on their Facebook page to a nomination page where people can recommend who to interview next.

“At the beginning we had to pick people we know, friends of friends,” he said. “As things got going, we got more and more nominations.”

The mission stated on their page is for “sharing the stories, struggles and success of the students and staff at Mt. Spokane High.”

“That is what we look for in every story we post,” he said.

Jackson, who owns a photography business, does the photos. Welton does the interviews and writes the posts. Welton said she’d never done any writing before this.

“One of my teachers recommended me for this, and I think it’s because I talk,” she said. “I’m not afraid to talk to anyone.”

But it was also a natural fit. Welton has always enjoyed reading biographies and autobiographies.

“Ever since I was little, I’ve liked listening to people’s stories,” she said.

The posts are all written in the first person. Welton said she records the interviews and then finds the flow of the story to be told and uses the person’s own words to tell it. “It’s strictly what they say,” she said.

Doing the interviews and photos has been challenging, Jackson said.

“The first three we did on Zoom meetings,” he said. “Once Phase 2 came about we met in person, six feet apart. We wear masks as much as possible.”

So far, they’ve interviewed students from a variety of backgrounds. Jackson said he’s looking for anyone who embodies the spirit of Mt. Spokane High School.

“It’s really open,” he said. “It’s not meant to appeal to a specific type of person. It’s very broad.”

So far the page has featured 15 interviews, including one with the school’s principal.

“He’s probably the most impactful person in my education so far,” Jackson said. “He really cares about his students. He knows them all by name.”

Welton said she likes talking to everyone, particularly people involved in some of the lesser known clubs and groups.

“It gives everybody a voice and a platform to speak on,” she said. “It also highlights groups that aren’t always talked about.”

Jackson said he has enjoyed running the pages.

“It’s just meeting all these different people,” he said. “I find it really interesting, especially since I’m new here and don’t know a lot of people.”

Welton said her experience with Humans of Mt. Spokane has opened her eyes to other possibilities, including journalism.

“It’s definitely become more of a career option,” she said. “It’s definitely in my top three.”

Jackson said he hopes to recruit two younger students he and Welton can mentor so they can take over the page after he and Welton graduate in June.

“I really want this account to last a while,” he said.