Aliza Yazzie

Name: Aliza Yazzie 

Grade: 9

How has the pandemic affected your life?

My mom started working from home, which means that whenever I come home I no longer get alone time that I might need after a stressful day.

What have you learned as a result of the pandemic?

I’ve learned how to adapt to certain situations. Before the pandemic, everything was pretty much the same. But once all the regulations started rolling in, I had to learn to adapt to them.

What worries are you experiencing now? How are you currently coping?

My biggest worries mostly involve my grades and other school-related activities. Since it’s my freshman year, I don’t know what ‘normal’ is for high school. I don’t know what to think of my classes, and I often catch myself wondering if the amount of schoolwork is what former grades got. Am I getting less work this year as a result of the pandemic or more?

What are some positive things that have come out of the pandemic?

At the beginning of the pandemic, I was a very antisocial person. While I had friends, I didn’t really feel the need to interact with them. Now, I find myself seeking out new people or going out of my way to hang out with my friends because I didn’t see anyone, besides my family, for 8 months straight.

What are your hopes for the future?

I hope that in the future we will be able to bounce back as a community and a country. While this might be hopeful thinking, I really hope that we stop blaming our problems on each other like I have been seeing for the past year.