“OMG, HAIIII, how have you been?!” “Were you in my class two quarters ago?” “It’s so nice to finally meet you in person!”
Two years ago, I was isolated in my home, stressing about online classes and the state of the world. A year ago, I came to terms with the possibility of not getting to return to campus for my final year of undergrad. A few months ago, I received an email from La Sierra University (LaSU) confirming the re-opening of the university. Today, I am on campus, in the Calkins dorm, relearning names of classmates, school rules, and the cafeteria hours.
The past 20 months have been difficult to say the least. From worrying about the health of my friends and family, my personal and familial finances, and my academics, life during the pandemic felt unforgiving. To be completely transparent, the weight of all my troubles transformed me into a person that was unrecognizable to others and myself. I had lost my identity and that constantly caused me to feel discouraged, unmotivated, and worthless. However, through perseverance and constant support from my loved ones, I was able to recover from that season of life and return as a finer version of myself.
When looking back, there was much more I gained during the pandemic than I lost. For example, before the pandemic, I could not remember the last time I spent a whole day with my mom, my dad, and my brother; however, due to the lockdown, my family and I were presented with the opportunity to spend months together at home in each other’s company. For some, this may have been a struggle, but personally it was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that I know I will never experience again. In this time, I also developed a profound appreciation for all the trivial aspects of life. By struggling to find necessities like toilet paper and constantly feeling uneasy in public spaces, I became more aware of what I had and what I took for granted. This time of revaluation was necessary for my personal growth and maturity as I came to truly understand how lucky I was to have the privileges I had/have. Though it is sad that these areas of my life had to be drastically affected to recognize their value, I thank God every day for the reminder He placed before me and the world.
As the days carried on and COVID-19 persisted, God’s omnipotence continued to shine. With the rise of a new COVID-19 variant, the delta virus, I almost accepted that my final year of undergrad would be experienced online. However, on January 19, 2021, it was announced that the campus would reopen for the fall quarter. Before I knew it, I was entering campus as a leader. As a Calkins Hall RA and IGNITE leader, I made many memories within the first few weeks of my arrival. My favorite by far was IGNITE. This year’s IGNITE was different from any other IGNITEs I have been a part of. With everyone craving socialization, new and old relationships blossomed everywhere. People were actively participating in games and raffles and interacting with one another on campus. What I enjoyed most about IGNITE was the unified unspoken appreciation of every student and leader. I witnessed that despite the major losses each individual carried, it did not and would not get in the way of them experiencing the present day.
Now that the novelty of returning to campus has started to wear off, I am beginning to see glimpses of normalcy at La Sierra University. In my last year of undergrad, I will keep the lessons I have learned in this troubling time and use them to bless others and appreciate every last bit of my remaining months as a student. So, to conclude, I want to encourage every freshman, sophomore, junior, or senior reading my story to take all they have learned from the obstacles they have faced –– socially and academically –– and apply them to the remaining years they have left. As we all now know, tomorrow is not guaranteed.
–– Emily Suk (Vocal Performance, Class of 2022)