2020 has presented differences and challenges for us, changing people’s plans and outcomes for the coming year.  

Freshman Sha’Miah McNezer found that 2020 influenced her goal of starting a YouTube channel because it allowed people to figure out who they are and what they want to do. 

“I’ve always wanted to start a YouTube channel, but it was never the right time or the right place, I didn’t have the right equipment, I didn’t really even have a phone,” McNezer explained. “2020 got us to sit down and settle and to really figure out who we are as people.”

2020 allowed us to have time away from other people and to connect to the “higher power.” 

“To connect to more of ourselves, our authentic selves,” McNezer said. “That’s how 2020 influenced me. It influenced my YouTube channel, for me to actually start it because I had no excuse, I wasn’t doing anything else.” 

Although English teacher Elizabeth DeLaRosa does not typically make resolutions, she formed a bucket list for 2021, including the goal of taking “more short weekend getaways.” 

“I think this whole being in lockdown, the amount of time we have spent in the house this year, I think that’s one of the biggest reasons why I say just a short getaway,” DeLaRosa said. “It doesn’t even have to be far.” 

DeLaRosa plans to achieve her goal by separating work from home to have the “freedom to feel like it’s okay to get away.” McNezer also has a plan to fulfill her goals, a large goal being making this the best year for her spiritually. 

“I feel like how I’m going to achieve my goals is like I said: staying close to God – because he’s the only one that can wake me up in the morning to achieve them,” McNezer said, “patience and hard work and dedication. That’s the only way I can achieve my goals because they’re long-term goals. They’re something I want to continue to do and develop and grow from and build a platform off of.”

Science teacher Adrian Avila does not have any resolutions. He hopes that Comic-Con happens this year but has no expectations. 

“I tend to go with things day by day, week by week maybe,” Avila said. “I try not to plan too far ahead because things are always changing.”

Avila believes in simply going with what happens but still having a goal to work towards.

“Just be ready to roll with whatever happens,” Avila said “Don’t dwell on the past, and plan as much as you can for the future but don’t depend on that happening.”

Freshman Jory Epps’ resolutions were unaffected by 2020, but she hopes that the pandemic will improve and looks forward to upcoming tennis matches as well as the rapid testing for athletes. 

“These are the exact same resolutions I said I would do last year, but I didn’t,” Epps said. “So, I’m trying to find a way to get them done this year.” 

DeLaRosa wants to expect, but knows she may be “pushing it,” for things to start evening out politically, socially, and racially. 

“My son and I have always, every summer we’ve gone to the local pool or we’ve gone to Wet ‘n’ Wild, and we missed that so much this year,” DeLaRosa said. “So, the opening up of those pools and amusement areas is something I am expecting and looking forward to.”

If she could, Jory would tell her past self in 2020 to spend time with her friends and do things outside, because she will not always have the time to do so. 

“I would probably try to tell myself that time is a precious thing that comes and goes,” Epps said. “It doesn’t pause, doesn’t stop for us when we don’t want to, it just keeps going.” 

DeLarosa would not like to change the past. 

“Honestly, I’m not a huge fan of tempting fate,” DeLaRosa said. “I would be way too scared that if I changed anything, what would happen would be way worse than what the reality is. You live and you learn from events and make sure that the future doesn’t follow the same pattern.”

Jory still believes that conditions will improve. 

“I would like to say that hope isn’t lost; this may have been going on for a while, it almost seems like it’s never going to end, and a lot of stuff is happening right now,” Epps said. “But like I said before: my parents always told me that, ‘Things are going to get worse before it’s going to get better,’ so it is eventually going to get better within time. We all need to learn how to be patient, be flexible, and be able to understand certain circumstances that we don’t have control over, and we just need to sit and ride the whole thing out.”