March 13, 2020. This is the date we remember as the day everything changed. As we reflect on this past year and the lack of normalcy, it is important to remember where it all started. Imagine yourself on March 13, 2020; imagine what you looked like, your self-care habits, or life lessons you kept in mind every day. Now, look at yourself in a mirror. I think we can all agree that, for better or for worse, everyone has changed throughout the past year. Hopefully, we changed for the better.

The circumstances we were put under have forced us to change how we live out our daily lives. Two areas of our lives that COVID-19 has affected are school and work. Even though everyone complained of the situation at hand, myself included, we found that, along the way, we learned a very important lesson: an appreciation of and gratitude for every single blessing in our lives.

Beginning freshman year with dwindling hope as virtual learning was announced for the month of September, I was devastated that my first year at a new high school wouldn’t really be a school year at all. It would be ten times harder to make new friends, and we wouldn’t get to experience our first NDP traditions as a freshman class such as Gym Meet, Tree Trim, and more.

I have never been excited to go to school; it was a mundane routine in my life. Hilarious moments in class, hugging friends in hallways, and whispering to someone sitting next to me were normal, but I couldn’t wait to get out of school and go home. Today, being able to walk into my new high school and explore the halls with friends is the best part of my week. I’ve made so many new friends, and I love making memories during classes. It shows how much we as human beings take for granted, and it helped me appreciate the lesson of gratitude, as well as learning to make the best of the situation at hand. We are all truly blessed, and we saw this year how easily everything could be taken away.

While this all may be true, credit must be given to the administrators and faculty who made virtual school bearable. Innumerable hours of work were put in to make students’ lives easier and less stressful. To be frank, I cannot complain about playing with filters on Zoom, being able to walk around my house during breaks, seeing my family and dogs, and already being home when the clock struck three. However, if I was in this situation before the virus, I would’ve hated every second of it and complained all the time. Since that time, I have learned a very important lesson: gratitude. Now, I know to appreciate virtual school, because even that is a blessing that could be gone in a flash.

Overall, this year has definitely been one to remember. There was some good, some bad, some spectacular, and some ugly. Throughout the struggles, the laughter, the hardships, and the joy, the NDP community stuck together. Looking ahead, I cannot wait to see what next year brings!