The pandemic, for many, was a very bleak experience, but through this time frame, many people changed drastically. Frequently, people look at their former selves negatively. Without being who you were in the past, you wouldn’t be who you are in the present. This period is part of your story and makes you who you are. The era of COVID-19 changed how many adapt in the present day. For over two years the nation had to keep its distance from others in fear of the deadly coronavirus. After going through these hard times, Willow Glen High School students are able to look back at the time in hindsight and see how they’ve changed.
For many during this period, it was an extremely lonely and miserable time. One student, Livi Tuiafono (‘27), shares his experience during this time, “the middle of 5th grade is when the pandemic started for me, it was a negative time in my life because, with no contact with others, I became lonely.” This separation can cause social anxiety and introversion. These effects can cause people to become shy and antisocial. This feeling of loneliness and lack of connection with others was extremely common during the pandemic. A second student, Kira Erkel (‘26), acknowledges the dreadful times but she also enjoyed the time at home. “Covid came with many negative outcomes, but I did still enjoy doing nothing and staying home during quarantine and in some ways, I still miss it.” Looking back at the last five years, it’s clear that there were perks sprinkled throughout the vast negatives of distancing and loneliness. One of the benefits was staying home gave maturing adolescents time to relax and spend time with their families. Now that this quarantine has ended, more and more maturing teens have been spending their time out and about. Which in return has caused less family time. An additional effect is the long term impacts of social issues making the youths that matured in this time introverts.
Covid was a difficult five years for almost everyone who experienced it. It was a time where people were isolated within their own families. Spending time with a very small group of people allows for self-exploration and reflection. For most students at Willow Glen High School, Covid began when they were between the ages of eleven and fourteen. These are the pivotal years for students to figure out who they are. Finn West (‘26) describes that it was a time in her life where “a lot changed and [she thinks she] found out a lot about [herself]. It [was] like a period of [self] discovery.” West was able to reflect on herself over the years throughout her time alone and came out of covid knowing more about herself. The COVID-19 quarantine caused a disconnection with friends, Piya Baweja (‘27) says “I’ve grown because I’ve learned to not take everything for granted” in regards to her attachment to other people.
COVID-19 has reshaped the way we think, live, and work. Students at our High School have learned to appreciate the people around them. as well as reshape their own personal identities.
