Phillip Sossou is part of the graduating class of 2016 at Boston Latin School, and he wanted to do something special to commemorate his fellow seniors. What he decided to do went above and beyond anyone’s expectations — and once you see it, you’re going to be just as amazed as they were. “Our class has been kind of divided,” said 18-year-old Sossou, an 18-year-old said in an interview. According to the administration, the school has had some issues with racism in the student body for the last several months. So to bring them all together and remind them of the strengths in their difference, he decided to draw a portrait — yes, a full portrait — of each of his 411 class members. “Having these pictures helps us to embrace our diversity,” Sossou said. I was trying to show everyone in a positive light.” To make the portrait surprise even more impactful, Sossou decided to come to school early during one of the last weeks of school and use the portraits to wallpaper the hallway. When his fellow seniors came to school, they were greeted with a sea of black-and-white portraits of themselves and their besties.
**Sossou’s graduating class had nothing but positive things to say about his efforts, their reactions ranging from “This is awesome, man,” to “Simply amazing.” See more of Sossou’s portraits and hear from the man himself in the video below.**