Murrieta, CA:

Due to Covid-19, I have been in strict quarantine due to the fact that I live with my grandmother who is immunosuppressed and diabetic, has rheumatoid arthritis, chronic fatigue syndrome, and fibromyalgia. I help her with household chores including cleaning the house, cooking, doing laundry, putting groceries away, and anything else she needs assistance with. Academically, this has also affected my ability to take the SAT and ACT, which is something I felt disappointed about because I spent so much time studying for them.

Outside of school, I was unable to volunteer at my local hospital unfortunately. I really wanted to volunteer at the local Kaiser hospital because it had been recommended to me by a friend but due to the circumstances that was not able to come to fruition. However, being quarantined created an opportunity for me to take part in online learning events and Zoom webinars during the summer. I attended webinars by Stop the War Coalition that discussed the crisis in Yemen and events by the African History Project. I also attended virtual conferences by the National Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) Leadership Coalition which I thought was beneficial because it gave me resources that allowed me to better navigate Zoom with my peers.  When it comes to expressing myself at this time, I’ve taught myself how to paint in acrylics and watercolors. Additionally, I’ve written poetry and participated in the Teen Poetry Lab run by the Poetry Foundation.