JYK Discovery Charter School & the Pandemic

by Jeyiana Steplight 

1st Place Essay Contest Winner

As I think about the impact of the pandemic on myself, my family & friends, DCS, and the world altogether, I feel so many different emotions all at once. I remember sitting in my room after learning that due to the coronavirus outbreak, school would be on pause for the next two weeks. I was beyond excited. “Finally, a break that wasn’t summer, winter, or spring break had come, and so unexpectedly,” I told my mom. I was so happy that I would not have to wake up early for school and would be able to stay on the phone at night with my friends longer. It was going to be the best two-week break ever I remember thinking. I was grateful for the break but remember beginning to feel a bit confused about where the coronavirus had come from and how it had gotten so bad that school would begin “at-home learning” because of it. 

The news stations did not seem to barely mention any news besides the new outbreak of the coronavirus. I learned that the virus had begun from three people who contracted pneumonia illness in Wuhan, China. This was the start of a global pandemic. Shortly after learning about the pandemic and how it began to affect so many places in the world, I started feeling a little nervous. I remember going to my mom one day wondering if I had caught the virus. I was so scared. I started questioning if I could smell or taste food. After receiving a negative covid test, I realized I was just being dramatic. Then one of the craziest things happened. The at-home learning was going to be for another two weeks. By this time, I was tired of not seeing my friends, barely going outside, and not seeing family members because everyone was advised to stay in the house without valid reasons to go outside, like work or an important trip to the store. 

Quickly the world was in a frenzy wearing face masks and buying all the household essentials like tissue, bleach, and hand sanitizer to the point my mom could barely find any at the stores. As a survival tactic, my family began to make sure to deep clean all the surfaces that people touched in my home, such as light switches, doorknobs, and the fridge handle. We began to clean up more often to eliminate the spread of the coronavirus in my home. My mom also began to buy more non-perishable food items like canned goods, noodles, and dry milk so we would have more than enough food in case the markets would close as we were sometimes unsure if they would. The news stations had begun to restrict regular outside activities like going to the park, going skating, and even the local libraries were closing. So, my mom and I began to do arts and crafts at home to stay busy and have fun. 

Please note: This article is a reprint of a submission from August 30, 2022. The article can be read in its entirety online at https://scoopusa-pa.newsmemory.com.