Coping with changes as a community
June 11, 2020
If you asked me where I would be today when I was a freshman, my answer would be far from reality. When I started high school four years ago, I had no idea what would be in store. My goals were simple; make friends, have fun and get good grades. Little did I know, there would be so much more to learn than just the normal curriculum.
I learned so much about myself, ranging from something as little as what kind of style clothes I wear to something as imperative as being my own person. I never thought the stereotypes about ‘finding yourself’ were real until I saw how much I’ve grown since I was walking into South for the first time. The people I’ve surrounded myself with, the choices I’ve made and the rough patches in my high school career have completely shaped who I am today.
In my senior year, I saw myself as a whole different person than I used to be. I care about my grades and future a tremendous amount more, I am unapologetically myself and I know what kind of morals I’ll have for the rest of my life. I hoped that this year would be a breeze. I got into college, have a group of friends that I always have fun with and I aspired to enjoy the last times I’d have in Grosse Pointe. Of course, these aspirations were quickly abolished by the coronavirus.
The pandemic going on all over the world has cancelled my senior spring break trip, prom and most importantly, graduation. Although these burdens are most definitely giving me a hard time mentally, I am not here to complain.
Throughout my experience at South, I haven’t always been close with my class. I’ve kept the same friends in all four years and one of my biggest regrets is not getting to know the people I’ll graduate with.
But, since everyone has been stuck in quarantine, I’ve felt more united with my peers than ever. We are all going through the same grief about losing some of the most memorable times in life, and I’ve found that our class has been a huge support system for each other. I’ve made friends with people I’ve never talked to before and I’ve never felt like we’ve been more unified. It’s helping everyone to know that we are all experiencing the same thing, and I think it’s so important to appreciate the silver linings.
One of the biggest things I’ve learned in high school has been during this mess– in life, the only way to get through the bad times is to stay optimistic, try to find the positives in anything and don’t fail to reach out, as people will do the same for you in return. I love the class of 2020 so much, and I am happy to be going through these hard times with the people I’ve been going to school with for 12 years. I hope everyone can find their silver linings in this situation, and I hope that our experiencing the same thing will keep us all in touch for years to come.