Students and faculty have grown in many aspects during these months of the pandemic. They all had to adjust their lifestyles accordingly and have learned valuable lessons about themselves and life in general.

Counselor Julie Ritter stated that with the changes from the pandemic her family made sure to prioritize their sleep, nutrition, exercise, while still maintaining their work and school schedules.

“Quarantine had a significant disruption to our former schedules so it was crucial for us as a family to find the right balance of structure and flexibility,” Ritter explained.  

Social media also affected Ritter and her family; it helped them feel more comfortable and stay connected to the outside world. Although she added that it should be used wisely as to not fall for misleading.

“Social media for me has always been a way to feel connected to family and friends who live far away,” Ritter shared. “For me it continues to be a way that I can build connections with people that I enjoy.”  

Free time was a common theme for students and faculty during quarantine, and learning how to manage it has been important.

“A lot of free time has led me to start baking and running,” sophomore Tina Young shared.

During quarantine, students and faculty had the time to grow and have taken time to think. 

“When it’s just you, you have a lot of time to think of your goals and what you want in life, and it’s very healing,” sophomore Blane Makonnen disclosed.

The covid crisis has helped many people realize things about life in general that they had not noticed before.

“I think the covid crisis has allowed me to pay more attention to the joy in life,” Ritter admitted. “It forced me to recognize the things in my life that are going well, no matter how small they are.” 

The pandemic is something that has come with challenging times. It has been an eye-opener and has brought valuable lessons.

“I think being kind to other people is very important because we don’t know what other people go through,” Young acknowledged. “Many people have lost their jobs, family members, and are going through hard times.” 

With lessons about life in general, students and faculty have also taken the time to learn about themselves, and learn to take care of themselves.

“I realized that I can make myself happier than I originally thought,” Makonnen stated. “I used to have a mindset that others should make her happy, but I’ve learned to be there for myself.”