Erin Chen ’27 and Shannon Chen ’27

Considering they have the same last name, are in the same grade and share a witty sense of humor, Erin Chen ’27 and Shannon Chen ’27 could be mistaken for twins. However, the two didn’t meet until kindergarten, and they never expected to be more than acquaintances until their freshman year.

“We met when we were itty-bitty. In Chinese school, we somewhat hung out, and we also went to the same elementary school, but we weren’t really close friends in elementary school because we had different groups,” Erin Chen said. “I didn’t really expect to get close with her.”

Shannon Chen echoes Erin Chen, explaining that in Chinese school, circumstance shaped their friendship rather than intention. 

“We were kind of forced to be friends — we were both in the same grade and just ended up being friends,” Shannon Chen said. 

Once high school rolled around, Erin Chen notes how they were able to bond more due to their similar schedules. 

“Freshman year, we became close because we had so many classes together,” Erin Chen said. “First trimester, we’d go from biology to orchestra together. We both played in the freshman orchestra, and we would always walk there together.”

Shannon Chen observes how their schedules brought them closer together, specifically their AP Computer Science A class. Their shared last name played a crucial role in their friendship, allowing them to sit together in the alphabetized seating chart. 

“We walked to comp-sci together daily, and doing computer science was especially a bonding experience; both of us never had computer science experience, and we got to sit next to each other,” Shannon Chen said. “It really helped bring us closer [by] having so many classes and the same common interests. I also remember during freshman year, we’d share a bag of apples during comp-sci every day. ” 

While it was their near-identical schedules that initially brought this duo together, some of their most memorable experiences stemmed from extracurriculars and school trips. 

“We went to the Carnegie [Hall] orchestra trip in New York, and we were early because we had gone from a science fair to New York. We had arrived a few hours before we had to start rehearsal, and we spent an hour doing karaoke together in our hotel room,” Erin Chen said. 

Shannon Chen reminisces on that moment and how they were able to sing their favorite song. 

“Our favorite karaoke song was ‘That’s What Makes You Beautiful’ by One Direction. We learned that now, if we ever need something to do, we’ll just pull out the karaoke,” Shannon Chen said. 

Erin Chen also describes their tradition of getting ready before their orchestral concert at the Iowa All-State Music Festival, where they have performed since freshman year.

“We like to get ready together,” Erin Chen said. “We do matching hair and makeup. We set [the alarm] for 4:45 and snooze it until 5:15; we get our hair curled together [and] put on AirPods, one for me and one for her, [to] play a hype-up playlist.”

Dressing up for events is a pastime the two share, not only for formal concerts, but also for a Halloween pickleball tournament. 

“The pickleball tournament was on Halloween, and we had to dress up; she was a hippie, and I was a cigarette butt. It was the best costume — it was so spontaneous, and even though we lost the match, we had so much fun,” Shannon Chen said. 

Having a strong friendship has allowed the Chens to form inside jokes, bringing laughter to everyday life. 

“We have so many inside jokes — every day is funny,” Erin Chen said. “One time, I accidentally called her Sharon, so now, if I can’t get Shannon’s attention, sometimes I’ll call her Sharon. People think we’re crazy sometimes because we’re just constantly laughing.”

Sharing a friendship comes with its ups and downs, including occasional disagreements, but Erin Chen has ways to prevent possible conflicts. 

“We’re both really chill people, so we don’t like to fight. When I get frustrated, I take five minutes, and I say, ‘I can be salty.’ After five minutes, I’ll let it go, and [this] has prevented anything bad [from] happening, because we haven’t had any conflicts,” Erin Chen said. “It’s really helped our friendship, because we’re both lighthearted people that don’t hold grudges.”

Erin Chen explains what she has learned from their friendship. 

“[Shannon has] taught me not to take everything so seriously; it’s not always about doing better or getting better scores. It’s about having fun along the way,” Erin Chen said. 

Shannon Chen notes the importance of having a close friend to talk to.

“Having a best friend is such a good thing, because you can talk about anything, and we’re super open with one another,” Shannon Chen said. “We can rant about anything, and we know everything about each other.”

Erin Chen echoes this viewpoint, emphasizing the support that the friendship brings. 

“It’s good to have someone you can fall back on, who will be on your side,” Erin Chen said. 

Jeff Conner and Jill Hofmockel 

While a science lab and a library seem worlds apart, at West High, the distance is nonexistent for science teacher Jeff Conner and school librarian Jill Hofmockel. Despite their different disciplines, their friendship has spanned from club planning to offering mutual support.

Conner and Hofmockel met over a decade ago in Conner’s ninth-grade Foundations of Science class; his students had a collaborative project about different types of energy. 

“Mrs. Hofmockel was essentially in charge of the project as a teacher librarian. She planned the lessons, the majority of the teaching and the grading for the project. While she was teaching, I was there as more of an assistant,” Conner said. “That was the first time we really worked together — it was lovely to teach collaboratively.”

Conner believes the two bonded during this project because of the teamwork required in teaching students together.

“Some [Foundations of Science] teachers tended to sit and watch as a teacher librarian was teaching the lesson. I tried to make more of a collaboration that built a stronger connection there,” Conner said. 

Hofmockel values her connection with Conner, appreciating how he warmly welcomed her into his classroom.

“As a teacher-librarian, I don’t have my own classes, so I have to rely on the generosity of my colleagues to welcome me into their classroom and allow me to teach the kids in concert with their curriculum,” Hofmockel said. “Mr. Conner was super nice and lovely to collaborate with.”

Through a multitude of common interests, including a shared passion for manga — Japanese comic books — Conner and Hofmockel take their conversation beyond the classroom.

“In my early years of teaching, I hosted the anime club here at West, and I remember having conversations with Mrs. Hofmockel about the manga collection in the library. Mrs. Hofmockel did a great job curating a good manga collection up there,” Conner said. “Some of my students in the anime club were really interested in that and [even] helped me pick out books, too.”

The duo was also involved in the esports team at West. Hofmockel played a crucial role in establishing it, and Conner later became a coach. They led esports together for a year before Conner took over the team. 

“I provided a way to create the team atmosphere, but Jeff is the gamer. He knows way more about that aspect and can actually coach them,” Hofmockel said. 

Sharing responsibilities for esports was a memorable and humorous experience for Hofmockel, especially as they encountered unexpected circumstances.

“It is hard to find transportation for an organization like the esports team,” Hofmockel said. “We both had to scramble to find a place nearby [where] you could rent a van; we had to laugh about that.”

Leading the esports team has allowed Conner and Hofmockel to bond over the frustrations that can come with running a team. 

“When I go complain to Mrs. Hofmockel about how things are not working the way I want with esports, I feel like she’s the only one who understands because [she] coached the team for so long,” Conner said. “What’s nice about [our] friendship is [that] I know that she’s there for me; if I’m having a bad day or something goes wrong with the esports team, I can go have a conversation with her about it. It’s nice to see a face that’s been here since I’ve been here.”

Conner and Hofmockel’s friendship reflects how shared efforts and compassion can turn a professional partnership into a lasting connection. 

“Mrs. Hofmockel does a good job of both listening and making me feel valid in the things that I’m feeling,” Conner said. “It’s great to have some constants in our lives so that we have support and stability. One of the benefits of a long-term friendship is you always know that person is there if you need them; I might go a month without seeing Mrs. Hofmockel, but whenever I see her, we can just pick up wherever we left off before.”

Amy Seidel and Stephanie Zepeda 

In a building where the days often feel long and stressful, a single person who understands can make all the difference. For Spanish teachers Stephanie Zepeda and Amy Seidel, that vital support exists in one another.

The two met last year when Seidel served on the panel for Zepeda’s West teaching interview. At the time, their interaction was formal, yet impressionable.

“I was very excited and impressed,” Seidel said. “I already knew she had a really good sense of humor and was very down to earth — which is a must when you’re working with high school students.”

Zepeda recalled the interview differently, noting how the circumstances can shape first impressions. 

“I remember thinking, ‘Oh, she’s really quiet,’ but I also knew I just didn’t really know her yet,” Zepeda said. 

Once the school year began, those perceptions quickly formed into a close friendship. As the two worked alongside each other, Seidel and Zepeda discovered their shared values. One moment that strengthened their bond came during Zepeda’s first year of teaching, when she felt overwhelmed. Instead of offering immediate solutions and answers, Seidel offered a listening ear. 

“I was very frustrated, and I would go to Amy and word-vomit everything,” Zepeda said. “She was able to help me relax and also hear me. She didn’t need to solve my problems; she let me vent to her. When I could tell I was ready, she helped me think through solutions. She [also] got me cards and flowers when I went through a hard time.”

Seidel explained that listening is often the most valuable form of support. 

“Sometimes your friends don’t want problem-solving,” Seidel said. “They just want somebody that’s going to listen and acknowledge what they’re feeling and say, ‘Yeah, that’s valid.’”

Much of their connection lives in their shared everyday routines, whether eating lunch together or checking on each other in the hallway.

“We do a lot of informal check-ins in the hallway,” Zepeda said. “We always encourage each other to take breaks. When I go [to] have lunch, I go across [the hallway] and ask if she’s going to eat.”

Zepeda harks back to a favorite memory of theirs in the hallways, where they couldn’t stop laughing. 

“[Amy] and I were just in the hallway, watching the kids. We were just chatting, and then Amy said a joke. I remember busting out laughing so hard, and then Amy laughed, and her laugh was funnier than the joke. I don’t even remember what the joke was,” Zepeda said.

Being a teacher requires a balanced schedule, which is what Zepeda admires most about Seidel. 

“I really admire how balanced she is — either [she’s] teaching, helping new teachers or [taking care of] her family. I was like ‘How does one do everything and not lose their cool?’” Zepeda said. “She’s so humble about it, even after 30 years. She’s still willing to learn.”

Despite their contrasting characteristics, they are still able to complement each other. 

“Although our styles can be very different sometimes, opposites attract. I love having friends who are from different backgrounds, and it’s very boring in life if you just connect with the people who are just like you,” Seidel said. “The longer I’ve gotten to know Stephanie, the more I want to get to know her. She’s funny, fun, warm and has such a great heart. She makes my day a lot more entertaining.”

Raphael Policeni ’28 and Edmund Svoboda ’28

Between arguments over songs and trips to math nationals, Raphael Policeni ’28 and Edmund Svoboda’s ’28 friendship has been anything but ordinary. What began as a simple introduction grew into shared debates, competitions and a lasting friendship. 

The pair first met in middle school at Regina Catholic Education Center, where Svoboda had just transferred from Willowwind Elementary School. Thanks to another friend, he ended up sitting at a table with Policeni. Although they were complete opposites personality-wise, their differences are what made them click. 

“I remembered Edmund as the funny, chaotic guy. He’d make a lot of jokes in the classroom or during lunch, before or after school,” Policeni said. 

However, Svoboda doesn’t recall Policeni for his humor, but rather his skills in math. 

“I knew Raphael as the math guy; he was the guy everyone would go to for answers,” Svoboda said. 

By becoming friends, Svoboda began gaining the same interests as Policeni. The two bonded over shared extracurriculars, such as their middle school math club. 

“When I transferred over to the same middle school as him, I wasn’t in a whole lot of stuff. But afterwards, I started going into a lot of stuff that specifically he was [involved] in — for example, math club. Our stuff soon started to overlap a lot; we’d have the same interests, but we were also still branching out,” Svoboda said. 

The two’s dedication to math allowed them to improve their abilities. During middle school, they were later able to attend math nationals in St. Louis, Missouri.

“We were going with a small group. It wasn’t [a trip] where you just get there the day before, and you leave when it’s done. It was for a couple of days. We went around St. Louis and ate at different restaurants,” Svoboda said. “We also went to the [Gateway] Arch and this museum that made you think you were up high the whole time you were in it.” 

The duo also bonded over shared interests outside of school events, such as watching Formula One races together.

“Outside of the school setting, we also have a lot of stuff in common. For example, we watched the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix[’s] end of the season last year together. We have a lot of interests outside of school. We both like going to the gym together occasionally,” Policeni said.

Despite their close friendship, Policeni and Svoboda had many disagreements in middle school, including debates over their favorite songs.  

“In middle school, we fought so much. We’d have multiple days of [arguing]. We had an argument over the Macarena and whether it was a good song or not,” Policeni said. “We don’t really fight much anymore; I think people would be surprised to hear that.”

Although differing music tastes first caused the two to argue, it later helped them introduce new genres to each other, allowing them to bond over music. 

“We definitely had very different music choices, [so] we’d introduce music to each other [when] the other person hadn’t been introduced to that genre,” Svoboda said.

Despite living far away from each other, it doesn’t stop them from hanging out. 

“We live really far away from each other, so we end up biking all over in the summer. We’ll bike to a restaurant, the pool, or the gym,” Svoboda said.

During the summer, the duo also enjoys doing miscellaneous activities, such as making a mini home Olympics and recording movies. 

“We did this mini home Olympics with 15 of our friends. We’ve tried making two [movies],” Policeni said. “The first one was supposed to be a “Mission Impossible” type of movie, and the other one was supposed to be a horror movie where demons started chasing around this kid with a ruler.”

Policeni reflects on how his friendship with Svoboda has allowed him to not be as hard on himself in terms of grades. 

“He taught me to take stuff less seriously; a lot of stuff doesn’t matter as much. I used to be super worried about grades and think if I got a B, it was the end of the world, but it doesn’t really matter that much,” Policeni said. “In the grand scheme, things like one B isn’t going to change much.”

Svoboda emphasizes how he would have ended up being friends with Policeni, no matter where they first met.

“We’d be friends either way — school is just the way that we met,” Svoboda said.