4/23/20 Taya Podvorchan PD 7

4/23/2020

Taya Podvorchan

What is it like working from home?

I personally don’t like working from home. I feel tired, angry, and I lack the

motivation I need to complete any schoolwork. I struggled to pick up a routine at first,

but now things are a bit better. While calculus is still a struggle (especially having to teach

it to myself), I now see a few silver linings. I’m able to work at my own pace and try to

understand the material given to me. Teachers are very understanding and I’m thankful that

they are trying to keep us positive through this ordeal.

What are you learning about your world/community based on the reactions?

Never in my life have I been more grateful for living in a gated community. Our

whole community, which feels more like a family, has been helping me through this transition.

I am lucky enough to be able to see my close family friends and be able to take walks with them

since none of us have left the gate. I spend hours on roofs, watching sunsets, and listening

to the ocean. Our small little gate grocery store, which before was just a place for kids to buy

snacks, is now well stockpiled and makes sure everyone has what they need. When my

mother needed cardamom for special Easter cakes, the lovely owners made sure they had

what we needed. My neighbors, who have a dance studio, allowed us to come and film videos

that I needed for dance auditions and scholarships, as long as we cleaned up after ourselves

and wore masks and gloves. I learned that all the stories about animosity towards others

during a crisis are false. I am thankful to my community and its people for helping each

other and making sure we are all getting through this.

Your own personal feelings and thoughts about what is happening right now.

As a senior in high school, this is obviously a difficult time. I feel like I am being selfish

by being sad about missing prom and graduation because people are dying. When I cried to

my friend about how my parents would never get to see me graduate high school after they

moved to America, she laughed and said there are bigger things to worry about in the world.

I think seniors are allowed to feel upset at all that is being taken away from them. We’ve

heard for many years about how amazing prom is, how liberating it is to throw your graduation

cap, how exciting it is to show up to Decision Day with your future university, and now that

it’s all taken away from us, we are supposed to be okay with it. Some seniors couldn’t play their

last season or sing or dance in their last show. I feel upset at myself because I could have it

much worse, so I should be thankful.