Editor's note: Bothell High School in Washington state was the first to close for two days of emergency cleaning on Feb. 27, 2020, due to the threat of COVID. On March 12, 2020, Ohio became the first state to announce its entire public school system would close, and by March 20, all states had announced public schools would be closed for at least some period of time.
For this three-part series, PBS NewsHour Classroom reached out to students who have participated in PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Labs (SRL) on their reflections over the past two years, and what they hope for the future of education and student well-being. This is the second entry in the series . The first, by Florida high school student Viamelys Salgado, can be found here .
Owen Shao, age 20
University of Wisconsin, Madison—Madison, Wisconsin
If COVID has taught me anything, it’s that I don’t always have to accept that things are out of my control. Almost two years ago today, I left the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee dorms following the order to quarantine.
My friends and I never expected to be living with our families again and were woefully unprepared to give up our unsupervised lifestyles. Our expectations of the “college experience” slowly devolved into a deep sense of disappointment and uncertainty.
Our expectations of the “college experience” slowly devolved into a deep sense of disappointment and uncertainty.
After an uninspired start to an online semester, I made the decision to be more productive in my personal life. I started running long distances to pass the time, got around to reading a few books I had tucked away and broke quarantine to make a music video with my friend.
As the pandemic progressed and restrictions lifted, I started seeing my friends again. We shared our stories from quarantine and took solace in the way everyone seemed to feel similarly about the experience. The stories we shared eventually gave way to us making new ones while life just sort of continued on. There was never a definitive moment where the effects of COVID felt absent. It was always there, looming in the background. Looking back, I feel proud that there was never a time where I gave up and accepted defeat.
Looking back I feel proud that there was never a time where I gave up and accepted defeat.
Today, our daily routines are closer than ever to a pre-pandemic lifestyle. But things will likely never be the same. I think we should remain conscious of COVID and accommodating of each other. We should work towards a culture where personal protection goes beyond policy and becomes a norm.
Another focus moving forward should be attention to mental health. COVID has taught me that it’s difficult to overcome personal issues in solitude. We tend to get in our own heads and can easily fall into harmful patterns. Make sure to reach out to those who may need help, or be strong enough to ask for help if you need it yourself. Little gestures can make a big difference.
Owen Shao is the PBS NewsHour Student Reporting Lab’s spring intern, where he assists with keeping track of social media analytics and content creation, among other tasks. He is from Wauwatosa, Wisconsin and is currently working towards a degree in journalism at the University of Wisconsin (UW), Madison. Currently, he is a writer for The Daily Cardinal , works in live video production for UW Athletics and enjoys making videos in his free time.
Do you know a student who would like to contribute to NewsHour Classroom's Student Voice blog and share their experience over the past two years of COVID? Email us at education@newshour.org for more information.
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