Items

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  2020-06-05

  Beating the Odds

  As cliche as it sounds I feel like I've fought all my life to get my diploma. Covid-19 was just another fight that I had to get through to get what I desired. I was so excited for senior year to start for all of events and the approach of college. When the pandemic first arrived in the United States, I didn't think much of it. At worst, I thought we would only have a few days off from school. Little did I know I would not be returning once covid hit. Although my parents got sick and I was continuing to work, school remained in session. Even though it was online, it was a major adjustment and at times I didn't think it would make it. As time progressed and the pandemic gradually got worse I managed to graduate. Although it was not the traditional graduation setting, I was content with the drive thru graduation I received. To graduate during a pandemic is an achievement I will forever be proud of and to every student during this pandemic I'm also proud of because at the end of the day school simply is not just school. Meaning, one doesn't just learn something grasp it immediately and be done. There are steps involved, learning barriers, time commitments, life stressors, and so much more. Life often becomes a barrier to school and to be able to endure that is quite the achievement. This photograph has tremendous meaning to me because in all honesty I accomplished what I wanted to do.
• 2020-12-08

  Graduating with a Pandemic: Derby High School

  A thing that relates to the topic of COVID-19 for me and the jornal of the plague year is the topic graduation. I was luckily able to have a graduation from my school. But I was not able to have graduation until five to six months later. My graduation was the day after I moved into college. A passage I found super interesting in the journal of the plague year was a passage called “High School Graduation:Quarantine Style”. And just like I said earlier their story is just like mine. Unlike them we were only allowed to have two people in our family come and unfortunately for them they were allowed to have nobody. Imagine not being able to graduate and then not be able to look at your family after. Not being able to see the smile on you Dad’s face and the tears running down your mother’s face is something that only happens once in a lifetime. Being able to graduate though, was such an honor. I was just so glad to finally be able to graduate with my friends. Going through those four long drastic years of high school was not easy at all. Especially since I played three sports I was always on the go. But receiving that diploma after and knowing you made it, all your hard work paying off, that is what you live for. Being able to see your principal call you by your name then hand you the diploma, nothing better than that. “Although it wasn’t the graduation/end of senior year that we wanted, the strength of our community consistently shone through all obstacles the pandemic presented to us”. This relates to the city of Derby so much. The precautions we took and everyone not agreeing with it was so amazing to me. My principal worked his butt off to pull off something like this. Crazy thing was he was the first person to say no for graduation because he was scared of coronavirus. So for him to put himself in one of the shoes of his seniors and make graduation was phenomenal. “we were spread apart across the football field, wearing masks in 90 degree heat, and received our diploma in rows”. This is literally the exact same setup as my graduation. But luckily for me it was not ninety degrees outside and it was later in the day. I remember walking on that football field and just seeing how everyone was being spreaded out and going on in my head was “I made it, I made it”. When I received my diploma to me at that point I finally knew I was officially on my own. I was just by myself in the world. Well I still had my parents and stuff but I do not live with them anymore. So after I rang the bell at my school I officially knew that I was all grown up. It was me versus the world and after I heard that gong I knew it was gametime.
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  2020-05

  Feeling Bad about Feeling Proud: Grad School in Quarantine

  A lot of people tell you about imposter syndrome when you enter graduate school. I certainly have experienced that, most of the time I'm afraid that someone is going to realize that I don't have any idea what I'm talking about and kick me out. However, I never really heard about not being able to feel proud of the work you have accomplished. I look at the work that my classmates are doing and I often feel as though I am nowhere near as qualified as they are. It doesn't matter what I've done in the past I don't feel like I measure up. That's why I have my undergraduate degree on the wall right by my desk. If I get to feeling bad about myself, feeling afraid to be proud of myself, I look at my diploma and realize that I have done things a younger me wouldn't have dreamed of. It's okay if you aren't the smartest person in the world. You're allowed to feel proud of yourself, I hope that this reminder helps me when I need it most.
• 2020-06-06

  A Redeemed Graduation

  My friend, who has autism, was very excited to graduate from High School. He spent years struggling with behavioral issues, enduring the isolation that comes from being an atypical kid in a school that had not prioritized his needs. When the pandemic hit, it hit him particularly hard. He had a specific routine, one which included restaurants, public parks, travel, all of which had been cut short by the drastic effects of the pandemic. He had regressed in a lot of his behaviors and he became very isolated. He still continued with his education, and by Summer of 2020, he was to graduate, but was upset when learning that it would be only a Zoom graduation. However, local parents in my city got together and went outside with balloons out of their cars and honked to celebrate his graduation while his Mom gifted him his diploma. It was a very encouraging thing to know that all aspects of society, even those silenced voices, were considered and accommodated where possible in these troubling times.
• 2020-06-04

  A Redeemed Graduation

  My family friend, who has autism, was very excited to graduate from High School. He spent years struggling with behavioral issues, enduring the isolation that comes from being an atypical kid in a school that had not prioritized his needs. When the pandemic hit, it hit him particularly hard. He had a specific routine, one which included restaurants, public parks, travel, all of which had been cut short by the drastic effects of the pandemic. He had regressed in a lot of his behaviors and he became very isolated. He still continued with his education, and by Summer of 2020, he was to graduate, but was upset when learning that it would be only a Zoom graduation. However, local parents in my city got together and went outside with balloons out of their cars and honked to celebrate his graduation while his Mom gifted him his diploma. It was a very encouraging thing to know that all aspects of society, even those silenced voices, were considered and accommodated where possible in these troubling times.
• 2020-07-25

  My Covid Graduation

  Throughout my high school career, the one thing I was most looking forward to was graduating, as any high schooler would look forward to. Not only just getting my diploma and starting my next step in my life, but the actual action of walking across the stage, looking out seeing my family and friends sitting in the crowd cheering me on. The whole concept and excitement of graduation day. Getting all ready in my cap and gown, sitting in the seats next to my classmates who I had grown up with for 13 years and listening to our principle and class president speak. The feeling of finally being free from that era of my life and walking out of the arena with the diploma in my hand. This is what I was looking forward to at the end of my senior year. When my school first switched to online, I still had hope of going back to normal in a couple of weeks. Unfortunately, as we all soon began to realize we were not going back, I realized I would not have this dream of a normal graduation after all. My school still had big plans for our class of 2020 graduation. We had a big senior parade where we drove through our village past all of our teachers and big posters of our pictures lined up on the street. Following that, we had our covid-19 version of graduation. There was a stage set up outside of our school and a section in front designated for close family and friends to watch. That day, I had many emotions. I wanted to be excited for graduation, but the thought of all my class has missed out on was still lingering in the back of my head. I walked across the stage and received my diploma, wearing a mask along with everyone there. I watched all of my friends walk across the stage and receive their diplomas too, but on a video. As heartbreaking as it was, I realized this wasn't something I should be sad about. The pandemic opened up a whole new idea of adapting for everyone. It showed everyone that no matter what could possibly happen, such as global pandemic, there is always a way to make the best out of a bad situation. I was still able to make unforgettable memories and have a memorable graduation. This is important to me because I know this is an event that will always be remembered in my life and it was something that helped change my perspective on everything in life.
• 
  2020-08-20

  Masked Graduate

  I chose to use this photo because I feel as though it really reflects what the past few months have led up to for me. My graduation was something I had been looking forward to all of highschool, since I struggled my first two years to get credits and I’ve worked extremely hard to get to this point of finally earning my diploma. The cap and gown mixed with the mask shows that even with setbacks, being represented by the mask, you can find success, as represented through the cap, gown, and tassel. I spent the past few months worrying that I would never get this ceremony, and validation that I have succeeded, however I have learned throughout this pandemic that I do not need the fancy ceremony, or validation to know that I have succeeded. I am strong, and I am able to fight whatever comes my way.
• 
  2020-06

  Wilton, Connecticut 2020 High School Graduation Parade and Student's Newspaper Column

  Wilton is a small town in Connecticut where I grew up. Due to the Coronavirus, their traditional graduation was canceled. Instead, they got together and had a graduation parade on the school grounds. I also included a column from a graduating senior
• 
  2020-05-09

  "YouTube University" doctorate circulates on Facebook, amid recent conspiracy theories

  This fake diploma/meme is circulating among friends on Facebook in response to recent conspiracy theories about the origins of Covid-19 and how to properly treat it. YouTube has removed some of the videos in question, prompting backlash. This satirizes people on Facebook spreading conspiracy videos.
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  2020-04-02

  Online School In a Picture

  This was my first day of online classes, and I had a rough start. #cshsecon