FUTURE PRESIDENTS of AMERICA

Whether you filled your mornings with student government meetings and afternoons with choir practice, volunteered weekly at your local food pantry, or tutored elementary students after school each day, most of this disappeared in mid-March, when schools shut down and extracurriculars were cancelled. As disheartening as this was, many of us began grappling for next steps and seeking out ways to keep busy. My advice? Embrace a “new normal”, rather than cling to hope for a return of the past.

The fact of the matter is, this pandemic will sustain a lasting impact on our generation. Schools are exploring their best options for reopening, none of which will look like what we were previously used to. As our realities have been consumed with masks and video meetings, take this time to reflect on how you personally can adapt and embrace. Although you may be stuck in your house, or unable to resume your normal impressive resume of extracurriculars, our personal development and impact on our communities need not come to a halt. Take this time to reflect on what you are passionate about, where your skills best lie, and how you can combine these characteristics to continue growing. Maybe that looks like volunteering your time to tutor kids via Zoom, or cultivating a garden and donating the produce to a food pantry.

Whatever your expertise may be, harness your creativity during this unprecedented season of life to continue making a contribution, both to your future and the world around you.