Kristina–17 years old Rising Senior at NOCCA

Since COVID has begun and schools shut down, it’s been a struggle for the most part. You want to get out and hang with friends, but I can’t. I need alone time, but I don’t have it. As a teen, I would like to have time for myself to release all the thoughts that build up inside. I haven’t had the time to in all honesty. I love my family; I do, but I want to go places with others and have fun. Relax without any though of worry for my life and others.

When school was in session, it was hard to have motivation in this environment. I procrastinated and didn’t give my best effort in my work in all honesty. Luckily, it was close to the end of the year. The academic work I was given wasn’t as intense as the beginning of the year. Just many projects and a few packets. It didn’t have as much critical thinking, like before. I go to Nocca for Musical Theatre, and the arts were more challenging than my academic classes. There wasn’t much space to move around. It was hard to work around my family’s schedule for dancing and acting, and I didn’t give it my all for dance. I wasn’t in the right environment. I felt less connected to my arts, and it was hard to feel emotion towards it.

This entire situation has me empty, in terms of interactions and emotions. I find I’ve become more irritable and annoyed at minute things. My mental health had been affected, my personal life with friends and family, and my senior year has been affected immensely. I see I probably won’t have my prom, senior trips, and other senior privileges. It’s very heartbreaking to think about how much my life has changed. It upsets me to see others going out without precautions and pushing the time length of the quarantine. They aren’t thinking of how their actions create a ripple effect. It affects everyone and everything. Ultimately, I hope we can get it together and pull through before next year.