After studying psychology, Susan moved to New York to find a job in what she called “a young person’s field" and as a result, landed a successful career in advertising. Years later, taking the expertise she gained in production into the classro

10 Mary | My Mother Told Me Not to Cry

Mar 1st, 2017 14m 56s

Mary and her family were forced to leave their home because of the civil war in their country, Sierra Leone. They spent years living in hiding in Guinea, going without education and often without food. Mary's essay explores the long, difficult

09 Matt | The Big Man

Feb 15th, 2017 20m 6s

A few days before the annual speech day, one of the students named Matt who was selected to share his story decides to drop out. Matt's teachers, Ms. Susan and Ms. Cinzia, work together to figure out if he is merely perpetuating his usual habit

08 Angie and Jonathan | Face It

Feb 1st, 2017 17m 45s

Angie and Jonathan both have something in common. Yes, they are both immigrant teenagers getting accustomed to life in America after moving from Columbia and Honduras, and yes, they both go to Manhattan International High School. But beyond all

07 Fatime | A Matter of the Mind

Jan 17th, 2017 18m 57s

Fatime grew up in the Ivory Coast but spent most of her childhood moving from place to place because of her mother’s struggle with a mood disorder. When Fatime’s brother dies suddenly, she is forced to look after her mother who struggles to cop

06 Ms. Cinzia | The English Teacher

Jan 3rd, 2017 20m 31s

Ms. Cinzia is in her seventh year teaching 12th grade English at Manhattan International High School. Every year, she collaborates with Ms. Susan, a communications teacher, to help her students use writing as a way to learn more about themselve

05 Zi Khai | The Rule of Threes

Dec 13th, 2016 19m 27s

When Zi Khai first moved from China to America, he and his mother lived in Kentucky to help with the family restaurant. Zi Khai was only twelve years old at the time and quickly learned that life can be difficult in a new place when you don’t k

04 Christopher | Because of the Money

Nov 29th, 2016 22m 24s

Growing up in The Dominican Republic, Christopher was always embarrassed by his family’s financial situation. He often felt as though people were looking down him because of all his family didn’t have. Through the process of writing his essay,

03 Erica | Alone

Nov 15th, 2016 25m 47s

Erica is from Taiwan with dreams of one day becoming a heart surgeon. She moves to America in order to pursue her goal, but the journey quickly proves to be a lonely one. Through sharing her essay with her classmates, Erica learns to accept the

02 Sana | In Light of Compromise

Nov 1st, 2016 29m 6s

Sana is a senior at Manhattan International High School. She was born in Pakistan but left the country to live in America with her father when she was a young teenager. In her essay, Sana explores what it means to feel confident about herself a

01 What Exactly Is Happening Here

Nov 1st, 2016 11m 17s

Host Katie Shepherd shares how she ended up at Manhattan International High School and introduces the students and teachers you’ll hear in this season of What’s Happening Here. A show about pivotal moments, this first seasons follows a group of

00 Preview

Oct 6th, 2016 2m 53s

What’s Happening Here is a new series that documents pivotal moments in people’s lives, those moments where everything changes. Each season we’ll follow individuals going through major life events and record the stories that emerge in the proce

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