“He is…a God,” senior Luca Matsumoto declared. Editor-in-Chief Anna Jevtic noted that “he is like an onion; he has many layers.” He is an enigma, a wonder, and a lifestyle that never ceases to amaze those around him. With his calm yet dazzling presence, Miles Freeman is a Human of Wilcox and individual like no other. I strive to uncover the layers of Freeman’s multi-faceted being.

Throughout Freeman’s four years at Wilcox, he was involved in Japanese club, cross country, track and field, and wrote for The Scribe. He has a variety of hobbies and talents that many are in awe of; he is an amazing artist, cook, musician, athlete, and writer. As I conducted this interview, he expertly folded an origami crane from an old piece of homework—right in front of my eyes—and claimed he has not folded one since elementary school. He describes art “as making beautiful things.” Music is one of his many passions, as he enjoys playing guitar, piano, and drums. Freeman elaborated that piano is his favorite instrument of the three, “just ‘cause.” Last year, he performed in the Wilcox Talent Showcase with Wilcox alumna Julia Hong. He played piano while they sang a duet of Hold on, We’re Going Home by Drake. Freeman listens to “all types of music,” but his go-to genres are “R&B, EDM, [and] hip hop.”

When asked what some of his favorite things are, Freeman immediately replied, “I really like mac and cheese. But like the good kind of mac and cheese. So not like the boxed kind…I only get to have it a couple of times a year though, like when my family from the South makes it.”

Coming from a half Black, half Japanese background, Freeman reveals that racism is a challenge that he has had to overcome throughout his life. For example, “when people find out I’m black, they come at me different[ly].” And it makes him wonder: is that really “ya energy?”

As a seasoned traveler, he explored Los Angeles, Miami, New York, and Nicaragua—just within this school year. In addition, he speaks four languages with varying degrees of fluency: English, Spanish, Portuguese, and Japanese.

Any Wilcox student who knows Freeman would agree that he wears some of the coolest outfits. His style can be described as casual, yet sophisticated and unique, with a hint of edgy. Freeman can be seen around campus sporting his pink Nike backpack, but since he now has a month until graduation, he often carries just a Spider-Man notebook and a pencil. He could be classified as hipster, but he is better described as Miles Freeman-esque: essentially, his own lifestyle. For example, at the CSF beach trip, he wore sunglasses that had only one arm connected to the frame and sometimes drinks Boxed Water at school. Rumor has it, he goes off on intriguing, spur-of-the-moment adventures. Freeman’s philosophy on life is to “just have a good time, all the time.” This quote truly embodies his free spirit, spontaneous nature, and love of life.

In order to delve deeper and get to the heart of Miles Freeman, I interviewed some of his good friends and dedicated disciples: seniors Robel Tesfai, Anthony Otonari, and Luca Matsumoto. The three friends described Miles as “an interesting guy” (Tesfai), “superior” (Otonari), and someone who possesses a “mysterious aura” (Matsumoto). Tesfai’s favorite memory with Freeman is “spending the night in San Francisco, on the bench.” Otonari admitted that “no one really knows everything about Miles.” He admiringly recalled when Freeman once played basketball with him and his friends, and although he made a “shot in the most unconventional way,” he still “looked so graceful and elegant.” Matsumoto stated that Freeman “just seems to be good at everything he does.” Overall, the three friends agree that although they have known Freeman for eight or more years, they learn new things about him every day.

As for Freeman’s future plans, he will be attending and will, no doubt, thrive at Brown University. Engineering is his potential major and career pathway, but he also dreams of “traveling the world and making beautiful things.” Regardless of what he decides to do, I am sure he will continue “finessing” his way through life. Although I set out to fit the puzzle pieces of Freeman together, I could not piece together his whole being. After all, Miles Freeman is an enigma, a wonder, a lifestyle.