The Coronavirus pandemic has caused quite a bit of a disturbance and it has effected many, especially those High School Seniors who were looking forward to so much: finishing their final year of High School with their friends, attending their High School Prom, participating in their final year of High School sports, and then graduating from their High School that they have worked so hard for, while also celebrating with their friends and family on such a joyous occasion.
However, the Coronavirus pandemic has changed all of that for High School Seniors. Hannah Shay, American High School senior, spoke with me about how everything has changed for her due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Shay said, everything that she was looking forward to has been either cancelled or postponed – school has been cancelled, all of her High School Sports have been cancelled, her High School Prom has been cancelled, her High School banquet has been cancelled, her High School Graduation has been postponed, and even her High School Senior Trip has been cancelled.
Video featured below: American High School Senior Hannah Shay explains how the Coronavirus pandemic has affected her last year in High School.
Shay is a very active student at her High School – she is an honours student, member of the National Beta Honours Society, an athlete who plays basketball and soccer, and is dual enrolled at Governors School of Virginia where she takes college courses; in which, she will graduate with an Associates Degree in General Studies by the end of this school year. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her friends and her boyfriend.
High School Senior, Hannah Shay, said she is disappointed that her senior year is not going as planned; however, she understands the severity of the Coronavirus pandemic and she says that she is doing her part by staying at home as Governor Ralph Northam of Virginia has issued an Executive Stay at Home Order.
Today I'm issuing a Stay at Home order, effective immediately.
— Ralph Northam (@GovernorVA) March 30, 2020
Our message to Virginians is clear—stay home. These actions are necessary to protect public health and slow the spread of #COVID19.
Learn more: https://t.co/5SDZ23yG6G
Shay has not left her house for three weeks now. She said, “I do agree that we need to be at home. It’s the only way really that we can stop this until something better comes along with it.” However, Shay said there are still many people, especially people her own age, who are not taking the Stay at Home Order seriously.
“That’s probably the hardest is seeing these people who are out and about and I’m struggling right now, because I’m missing my friends and my boyfriend… so it’s hard for me to see them out and about when I’m stuck at home, but I know what I’m doing is right, it’s just hard to see that with them.”
Hannah Shay, Randolph-Henry High School Statesmen Senior student
Finding her "quarantine" routine
Upon the Coronavirus pandemic disrupting Hannah Shay’s school and life in general, she has managed to find her own way to cope with staying at home on a daily basis. Shay said, she found an instagram post that inspired her – the quarantine routine. Moreover, she decided to create her own “quarantine routine” and that has helped her the most now that she is staying at home on a daily basis.
“I actually saw an instagram post that was like my quarantine routine and I made my own and I decided to try to follow it and I kind of have been and then I kind of strayed from it. It’s just hard to stick to that. Right now my parents are working around the house and I’m helping them, so my routine isn’t really there, but I’m still getting up and doing the baseline of it and doing everything that’s on the list.”
Hannah Shay, Randolph-Henry High School Statesmen Senior student
Teachers share messages of hope and gratitude to their students
Teachers understand how hard of a time it is right now for their students, especially those High School Seniors who are having to miss out on so much right now. Which is why Hannah Shay’s Assistant Principal Erin Lenhart Davis and teachers from Randolph-Henry High School Statesmen have collaborated by putting together a video that shows their appreciation for their students, how much each teacher misses their students, and that there is hope ahead after Covid-19.
Erin Lenhart Davis, Assistant Principal at Randolph-Henry High School Statesmen, offers personal a message to her High School Seniors:
“Senior year should be a joyous time where we all come together to celebrate one of life’s major milestones. Even though this year is not what any of us hoped it would be, I trust that this pandemic has taught us all many important lessons that will surely define the future of the class of 2020. I feel certain that once this pandemic ends we will all be more appreciative of the simple joys in life such as time spent with family and friends. I believe that kindness is spreading across the United States just as fast as this virus and I trust that our Statesmen will continue to find ways to spread hope and love to others during what has been a very troubling time. We may not be together right now, but our Statesmen family is as strong and united as ever.”
-Erin Lenhart Davis, Assistant Principal at Randolph-Henry High School Statesmen
