For Better Or Worse, The Coronavirus Will Change The Direction Of Our Lives.

The Coronavirus has interfered with every aspect of our lives. This is true for every class at Herriman High School, but it seems to be magnified with respect to our Seniors. We have had some of the best months of our adolescence derailed, and the psychological toll that it has is onerous, to say the least. What is more, is that, for a large portion of our 2020 class, their post-graduation plans have been put into a state of limbo. I asked a couple of our fellow senior classmates how they have handled the interruptions, and this is what they had to say:

How are you coping with the interruptions of COVID-19 as you prepare for your life after graduation? 

Kennedy Stroud:

“Well, I’ve been reading a TON and doing lots of crafts to try to distract myself but at the end of the day, it just sucks! I probably won’t see the majority of my friends again, won’t walk the halls of my school again as a student, sing in my last choir concert, or even get to walk at graduation. COVID has taken a lot from us but eventually, we have to get over it and move on because there is nothing we can do to change it. Senior year has been amazing and I’m so excited for the future. 2020 can STILL be our year!”

Jacob Arsenault:

“If only I had known that was going to be my last formal day of high school…there’s so much I would’ve done differently. It’s easy to look at that feeling of incompletion and feel resentment, I know I have and I know we all have to some degree at some point or another on this journey. The opportunity to graduate normally, to have a prom, or to even soak it all in for one last time was all taken away by something far out of any one of our control. If I’ve learned anything it’s to control what you can and make the most of what you can’t. Moving forward in life I now know to not only savor every sweet moment life gives you, but to find the sweet in the bitter. Sure, our senior year isn’t going to be the same as we envisioned, but instead of looking at it for what we’ve lost, we have to look at it for what we gain. We now have the opportunity to be different and to make memories while living under these conditions, and, when it’s all said and done, to retain those feelings wherever we go.”

Jacob is planning on going on an LDS mission in the summer, and this was his response to my questions about the prospects of leaving on an international mission with many variables at play with respects to his opportunity to go out and serve:

“It’s terrifying if I’m being honest. It’s hard to prepare to go to a foreign country with these thoughts in the back of your head if you’ll ever end up there. It’s hard because the church hasn’t said much to us and they are still calling foreign missionaries so the hope is that come our time in the summer that we’ll still be able to go to our called countries but there are so many unknowns and that makes preparation hard. I’m hopeful that, even if I have to do the MTC online, that I’ll still be able to go down to Brazil but it’s the uncertainty that makes this situation all the more terrifying and unsettling.”

Abby King:

“I don’t know where you want me to start, but basically Corona really turned everything upside down! At the beginning of the year, I would have never imagined that this is where we would be! Senior year started going great, between mascot bowl and opening assembly and Hearts of Gold, it really was the best year ever! When I found out school was getting canceled for two weeks I was happy because everyone needs a break at one point, right? But then it got canceled until May and then it was all over. The saddest part for me about the whole thing is that I never got to say goodbye to my class of 2020 best friends and the school that had the biggest place in my heart! I often go back and look at old memories from HHS! Life really was great in high school and I would give anything to go back there! Class of 2020, it’s been real! Good luck with everything!”

As you can see, things are unsettling at the moment, but through all of this, the optimism and hope that my fellow classmates have is remarkable. It will be fascinating to see how this situation affects us in the long-term, and how we will make the best of everything going on. I’m sure it’ll be great, and my classmates, for the most part, hold a similar sentiment. Way to be, 2020.

Mustang Seniors: HHS will have lawn signs indicating a graduate from Herriman HS lives at the home. They will be ready for pickup on Thursday, April 30th from 11 am to 1 pm. We love and miss you! #Classof2020 #HTownsOurTown pic.twitter.com/R0U8MInKCu

— Herriman High (@OfficialMustang) April 27, 2020