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A Difficult Beginning and a Hopeful Ending

By: Blake Taylor

The unprecedented circumstances caused by the pandemic have created a chaotic senior year full of surprises. Reflecting back on the uncertainty I felt in August 2020, right before the jump into my senior year, I can confidently state that there have been several ups and downs, but it still has been a memorable experience. 

Starting the year divided into blue and green cohorts was most definitely upsetting and lonely. Our grade was not able to be unified and felt isolated from each other. I felt empty going to school without some of my closest friends for nearly a full calendar year. Classrooms felt deserted with less than 15 students in each, plastic shields surrounded our bodies, and our once happy and smiling faces were hidden by masks. Logging onto a zoom class every other day while attending in person on the other day made school feel inconsistent and ineffective. Learning was no longer the same, and school was not the lively and exciting environment it was in the past.

While the months of September to March felt slow and monotonous, hope was restored when the senior class was reunited and finally allowed to attend school all together again for five days a week. Things slowly began to feel normal, and there were events to look forward to. Redoing senior spirit week as a full class was fun and felt more normal than it did in the beginning of the year. The senior class now has exciting, full-capacity events to look forward to, such as prom and graduation.

Looking back holistically at the year, I grew as a student, person, and friend- despite the several ups and downs. I learned how to deal with barriers and complications and how to effectively overcome them. I am excited to continue my educational journey next year at the University of Georgia with a major in exercise and sport science.

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