My experience with COVID-19 has definitely had ups and downs. Like every student in school, I was sent home on March 13th for an early Spring Break. My school said that we’d be back right after the break, so I was fine with it.
However, the stay-at-home order for my state was announced on March 26, and it was to last until April 11. By the time April 11th rolled by, an announcement was made that the order was going to be extended until April 30. Now we know that it was going to last even longer than anyone thought.
To be honest, I did enjoy my time doing online school. I got the best grades that I had ever received. However, it was still sad that I couldn’t see any of my friends, nor interact with anyone other than my family.
During the quarantine this spring, I can vividly remember the news. All they talked about was coronavirus – the updates, cases, guidelines, how to tell if you were sick, and so much more.
It continued like that till around the end of May, when the Black Lives Matter Movement started. The news started focusing on that topic. Eventually, people began getting worried that the protests were going to cause another spike of COVID-19.
For months, the headlines were large and loud.
To be honest, I don’t remember much from my summer, the days flew by like a blur, and so many things were happening that I couldn’t even wrap my head around it.
Eventually, summer passed and August was right around the corner. Places had started reopening and masks became required to wear to go into stores. Things were slowly going back to normal. People were about, shopping, hanging out, running their businesses, and other normal activities.
Despite this, school was still unresolved. School districts were still deciding what to do about the school year, whether it would be online, remote, or hybrid. My school didn’t release information about what they were doing until five days before school started. It didn’t help that I was going to a new school where I didn’t know anyone.
I think that throughout this entire ordeal, my family helped me get through. It was very stressful, but we helped each other navigate through it, and it helped me to stay sane. Relationships with friends did become slightly strained through the quarantine, but it was comforting to receive and reply to emails that my friends sent me.
Even though we were stuck inside, I do remember laughing a lot and having fun. Now, as of September, my school has begun doing hybrid learning. I’m working with four people for the rest of the semester, and I’m looking forward to making friends with them.
In the end, many things happened through 2020, good and bad. The only way we can move forward is to rely on our positive relationships. With community, we will continue to get through this time together.
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Chanelle Rodriguez
Chanelle Rodriguez is in the 8th grade. She is able to fluently read and write Japanese Hiragana (and a little bit of Katakana). Her favorite thing in the entire world is Japanese anime, and she also enjoys competitive volleyball, playing with her cats, and hanging out with friends. She believes friendships are really important in life - If you make that certain connection, you can sake friends that will last a lifetime! She says that she has made friends and stayed in touch even when they have been at different schools, and wants to help other people know how to do the same.
