Inure: to become accustomed to things traditionally seen as undesirable. As graduating seniors of the class of 2020, we have inured to hardships faced by few prior classes. We are inured to the idea of no prom, no senior skip day, no remaining moments in the classroom with best friends, no spring sports, no graduation celebrations, and no final goodbyes. As we continue our quarantine, we can’t help but feel that our journey as seniors ended in the blink of an eye.
Yet, in that fleeting blink, millions of memories rush through my mind, memories that I am eternally grateful for. I remember the queasy yet jittery feelings of conquering the first day of school. I remember the patience of my kindergarten teachers while I learned how to read, write, and count. I remember the indubitable honor of becoming a “cool” middle schooler. I remember taking my first steps in what seemed to be a MASSIVE building to start the most challenging but most rewarding four years of my education in high school. I remember learning from peers whose companionship created lifelong connections. I remember flourishing, changing, and morphing into who I am now. I remember the ceaseless support of my community during difficult times.
This last memory is the most impressing and important one. Whatever sense of love and kinship the class of 2020 lost as a result of school cancellations, we gained through the support and togetherness of our communities. From the get-go, I began to witness the selflessness of Kentuckians, with volunteers making masks for first responders, teachers going above and beyond to put together online courses literally overnight, and essential workers toiling tirelessly to support families and their homes. As a senior, the administration of Fayette County showed me their support and care by putting together multiple celebratory events, with individually delivered senior yard signs, a pre-filmed graduation with the president’s address, a graduation parade, and a drive-through diploma acceptance. Each event felt like an extra hug, an extra boost of confidence to tackle the tribulations ahead, and an extra leg of support. I understood the power of a community uniting to back one another during unprecedented times.
However, there still remain uncertainties. As the sun starts to shine and summer weather takes over the rainy spring days, we spend hours outside of the house, and the cases of COVID-19 in Kentucky continue to rise. High school seniors like myself are uncertain whether or not one of the biggest transitions of our lives will be virtual. Many continue to face daily struggles, some more than others. An article published by the Harvard Medical School noted that low socioeconomic status strongly correlates with an increased probability of contracting COVID-19. With a starkly increased unemployment rate, students around the nation who are struggling to make ends meet face the decision of pursuing further education or delaying it in order to immediately support their family. In some eyes, a five-figure tuition isn’t worth it when students are sitting behind a computer screen, failing to make tangible connections with professors and students.
Despite the difficulties, the past several months in quarantine have taught me more about Kentucky than any textbook or lecture in class could have. I am proud to reside in a community where no matter an individual’s personal state, we always strive to lift each other up and support one another, exerting our last bursts of effort to give our neighbors a (virtual) pat on the back and leg-up instead of responding selfishly.
Even though I missed the final moments of high school, I am grateful to have been given the chance to learn what takes most people years in the span of two months. I took time for myself to reminisce and accept that what I have lost is forever gone, but I pushed myself to close my eyes, and in the blink of eye, envision what a future might look like with the new understanding of the importance of a strong and synergetic community.
Nasim Mohammadzadeh is a graduate of Paul Laurence Dunbar High School and a rising freshman at Brown University.
The opinions expressed on the Forum represent the individual students to whom they are attributed. They do not reflect the official position or opinion of the Prichard Committee for Academic Excellence or the Student Voice Team. Read about our policies.
