By Sakira, 19, Dallas, Texas
During this pandemic I’ve been trying to better myself by working on some skills that I won’t be learning in school, such as learning Photoshop and soft skills such as working on speech writing. A little progress is being made everyday, which is what motivates me to do better the next day! I have also been trying to focus on my feelings and trying not to panic. I do that by sitting in my garden and just trying to think. My emotions have been swaying from being pessimistic to optimistic, especially when the prospect of school not reopening in the fall.
Throughout this, I have been reading the news more and keeping up with the world around me. The state of the world is in chaos now, but I believe that if we work together like we have in the past, we can all get out of this in the best shape possible.
Another thought that has been popping into my mind is how scary my future now seems. There is a lot of talk about a recession coming soon, and I’ll be graduating in just a few years. My friends who are seniors or juniors have had full time offers and internships delayed or pulled completely, and that is a very scary reality.
If there is a recession, there will be less internship opportunities for college students, less full time offers, and it will be harder to get both. Gen Z is going through such a crazy time during some of our most formative years. We are being ripped away from college experiences and our best friends, our college homes and campuses. We can’t meet up with anyone, and that will make us so appreciative in the future when we can.
Once we go back to normal, or the “new normal”, grabbing a bite to eat will be an experience to remember, and giving a friend a hug will be something so precious. The whole world will appreciate each other and the little things so much more than before. In this state, we do not have as much of a voice in the situation, but that is something that will change in the future. Gen Z is a generation that wants their voices heard, and us being silenced and stuck in our homes right now will make our voices just that much stronger.