In a large public school, many students fly under the radar of the larger community. Some, however, become known by many for their good deeds and positive attitude. Plenty of students attest that senior Fred Henry is a scholar, a volunteer, and a friend to many.

“I think people need to realize that people each have their own beliefs and motivations and you need to respect who they are,” Henry said. “My philosophy is be kind to people and they’ll be kind to you.”

“I get the feeling he really cares about people and wants to try to make you feel better,” said senior Peyton Mogley. “He has helped me figure out the root of my problem and encourage me to try to solve it from there.”

Senior Izzy Muren shared this sentiment, commenting that she is lucky to have him in her life.

“Fred’s always supportive and I couldn’t ask for a better person to be my friend,” Muren said. “He always seems to lift me up when I’m really down, and he just has this really positive energy.”

Fred works constantly to give back and make the community a better place. As an A+ tutor, he makes frequent trips to the middle school to help struggling students.

“I’m from the city, so I do the magnet program,” Henry said. “I help a lot of kids who are also in the program, and that’s what we talk about most of the time. We have the same situation coming from one place and going to school in another.”

Raised in a single-parent home with three sisters, Henry says he had to learn a lot for himself growing up. Today, his upbringing motivates him to help others.

“I want to give back to the community because I felt like I missed out on that experience of having a father,” Henry said. “I want to help be that father figure for them and help them learn.”

Although the educational opportunity of Parkway is alluring to many families in St. Louis City, the cultural shift from more urban areas to Chesterfield does not come without challenges. Henry is one of the few black males at the school enrolled in AP classes, and being from the city is yet another level of differentiation. Henry expressed frustrations around feeling the need to speak for other members of his race in class and wanting more people like him to relate to.

    “It kind of makes me sad that there’s not more of us,” Henry said. “I have to remember when I make friends [from the county] that they’ve had these opportunities that I don’t. I can’t compare myself to other people, especially if they’ve had tutoring their whole life.”

Although Fred is outnumbered in his classes because of the color of his skin, he says he chooses  to not let the differences between himself and his classmates stop him from connecting with people.

“I’ve been friends with Fred since the 8th grade,” senior Gabe Raskin said. “We’ve remained friends ever since. He’s hardworking, determined, and studious, but also knows how to relax and just kick back with the guys.”

Many other students often take note of his abilities.

“Fred is very intelligent,” Mogley said. “He’s creative and likes to put his skills to the test. Typically our conversations are very deep and ponder the world and it is refreshing to have a friend like that.”

Senior Aidan McCarter agreed. “He’s a joy to be around,” McCarter said. “But he’s not just amiable; he’s smart. I remember having a study session for an AP psych test with him and a bunch of other students and Breadco. He and I were the last ones to leave because we were deep in discussion about split-brain patients.I love a good discussion, and its always wonderful when someone else is as intrigued by an issue as much as you are,and I could tell he was.”

One final element seems to draw people to Fred, and that is his sense of humor. Mogley, Muren, and Raskin all commented on Fred’s ability to formulate puns that (whether they are funny or not) that always bring them a smile.

“Fred and I can have very long conversations just consisting of bad puns; it is great.

” Mogley said.

“And of course, he has a classic grin,” Raskin said. “One I could spot a mile away. Fred is always a happy guy.”