This past year, when COVID-19 caused schools to shut down, it was difficult for everyone to stay connected, especially for high school seniors who are finishing out their high school career.
Senior Emily Nyquist believes that high school is a time for teenagers to expand their horizons and make new connections. During the shutdown of schools and stay-at-home orders that took place in 2020, Nyquist struggled to cope with the feelings that came with not being able to connect with others.
“Quarantine was pretty difficult for me because I felt like I wasn’t connected to anybody,” Nyquist said. “I am a very social person and a total extrovert. I can spend about an hour alone, but then I am set for alone time.”
COVID continues to transform the way students interact, along with how they learn. The balance between in-person and virtual learning has had a different impact on everyone. With the curriculum being taught at a faster pace this year, the motivation for school was more focused on learning than building connections with your peers and teachers.
“It was really hard when we were doing virtual and even hybrid because I didn’t feel as motivated. And you don’t get that much connection with the teachers and with your classmates. And that is kinda one of the things that keep me focused in school,” Nyquist said.
Finding new and safe ways to stay connected with others is important. It is also important to stay connected with yourself. For years, Nyquist has struggled with the constant thought of always having to do everything. If offered the chance to visit her younger self, she would remind herself that no one expects you to do everything, even if you feel like you have to.
“I feel like I would have a lot of things to say to myself. The biggest one is just that you don’t have to do everything and that’s okay. No one expects you to do everything, if they do then that is ridiculous and you don’t have to listen to that,” Nyquist said. “I just always struggle with overplanning myself. I want to be perfect and be doing this and that.”
Even through the hard times of not feeling connected, Nyquist continues to keep building the strong relationships she holds with others. Nyquist is proud to leave a mark on her peers, teachers, and Northview as a whole.
“It’s not even really an achievement. But the relationships I have made, I feel that I have developed a lot of strong connections with friends and staff members.” Nyquist said. “Just trying to do good and leave my mark of good on our school. I feel like I have done my best trying to do that. I am pretty proud of that.”