While the pandemic was certainly full of more than enough isolation, I felt as if I deepened my connections with my family and found some of my best friends through quarantine and became closer with my peers as a result of the uncertainty the pandemic provided. 

Despite the fact I actually grew up age-wise in the last two years, this pandemic has allowed me to mature and grow into the best version of myself. With so much time being spent alone, it forced me to focus on myself and only myself. 

With that being said, I was not completely alone. I had my two sisters, who are each a year apart from me. Pre-pandemic, my sisters and I were already close, but, with us being forced to stay in the house, it only brought us closer. A huge takeaway I gained from the pandemic was how grateful I am to have my sisters. 

As school reopened in October 2021, the cases of the pandemic slowly decreased and it felt safe to see others. I was finally able to see my best friends again, but my relationships with them were different, due to this newfound maturity I gained. Not only did I have better friendships with my peers, but I also took time to focus on myself, something I rarely did pre-pandemic. I focused on myself through activities like yoga, meditation and going on walks. 

Additionally, when the pandemic first started, I was only a sophomore. I think it was safe to say I had no idea what I was going to do with my life, never mind the next day. Now, as a senior, I’m deciding what I want to study at a college I will attend for the next four years of my life. Oddly enough, without the pandemic, I would have no clue what my major would be. 

I decided on my major, Journalism, as a result of the unpredictability of COVID-19. Somehow, it created a ‘you only live once’ mindset for me. I was motivated to come out of my comfort zone and try new things, like joining the Harbinger, for example. Joining the Harbinger allowed me to discover my passions: fashion and journalism. 

My mindset allowed me to form some of the best relationships with my family and friends. So although COVID-19 forced me to physically distance myself from my loved ones, it’s also given me the opportunity to become closer with the people I love and begin forming who I am.