Friendship exemplifies district values

August 6, 2025

_{Emani and Brooklyn, friends at East Kentwood High School, discuss their school and the opportunities and connections they have because of it}

Kentwood — A pair of East Kentwood High School students have “bestie telepathy,” as they describe it.

Friends for so long they can’t remember a time before, they say they learn from and are always there to support each other in school, on the track and everywhere else. They know what the other needs and when they need it.

Emani and Brooklyn are featured in this video as part of a series called “Through the Eyes of Our Students,” created by Kentwood Public Schools and Aves Films. It shares stories of students who attend Kentwood Public Schools. The district is the most diverse in Michigan.

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Erin Albanese

Erin Albanese is managing editor and reporter, covering Kentwood, Lowell and Wyoming. She was one of the original SNN staff writers, helping launch the site in 2013, and enjoys fulfilling the mission of sharing the stories of public education. She has worked as a journalist in the Grand Rapids area since 2000. A graduate of Central Michigan University, she has written for The Grand Rapids Press, Advance Newspapers, On-the-Town Magazine and Group Tour Media. Read Erin's full bio