“Don’t take your blessings for granted”

Kiara+Guzman+enjoys+Confluence+Lake+as+she+embraces+the+sunshine+reflecting+off+the+water+on+a+beautiful+day.+%E2%80%9CI+have+always+loved+nature+and+enjoyed+the+outdoors%2C+especially+places+like+beaches+and+lakes.+The+calmness+of+water+drifting+back+and+forth+on+a+bright+day+has+always+given+me+a+sense+of+peace+in+the+world%2C%E2%80%9D+said+Guzman.

Kiara Guzman enjoys Confluence Lake as she embraces the sunshine reflecting off the water on a beautiful day. “I have always loved nature and enjoyed the outdoors, especially places like beaches and lakes. The calmness of water drifting back and forth on a bright day has always given me a sense of peace in the world,” said Guzman.

School is an essential and important part of some students’ lives for almost eighteen years or so. Good education can help develop individuals into the person they want to become as they progressively grow and change in this society. Schooling forms and stimulates young people to prepare students to become more successful and ready later on in life. Even though school was never an excitement to me, I knew that it is going to be an important asset to help me throughout life. 

School was the place where I could hangout with friends and just be myself. Mostly I was more focused on passing my classes than instead of learning the lessons that went on in the classroom. Don’t get me wrong I liked learning new things, but I was more of an aspiring artist. Things such as music, art, and literature are what inspired me to continue going to school and made me continue to put myself out there more. As soon as I entered high school I felt a feeling of excitement and nervousness immediately start to form in the back of my head and in the lowest pit of my stomach. It made me realize more that I’m actually about to become an adult and I’ll have to entire the real world soon. I already knew, early on, that it was my responsibility to strive for greatness because after high school was over all of my work was going to lead to my survival in life. 

I was constantly trying to figure out who I was as a person. I had switched from different groups of cliques trying to fit in with anyone I could find. A lot of people have told me that senior year was going to be the hardest year of high school, but so far it has been a breeze. I was skimming through the year with good grades and not a worry in the world. I have the best friends and I’m really proud of the work I’m putting into my education. That is until this whole pandemic of COVID-19 struck. 

Since this virus has forced us to be quarantined into our homes, I’ve been more stressed about my future and this society lately. I have waited sixteen years to have the chance of a graduation and be able to move on to better things with my life. I may not even have the chance to go to prom or go with my class on a senior trip. I have wished to be finished with school for an eternity, and now that’s getting put on hold. Most teenagers cannot enjoy their lives to the fullest because they are condemned to their homes. I can speak for many seniors when I say that we have lost many opportunities and chances during the “happiest times in our lives”, due to a situation that we can’t control. The youth can’t be online forever either. Students depend on learning valuable skills and human interaction that they can’t have through an electronic screen. A lot of students and I knew we had taken our sociable day to day lives of schooling and even just being able to go outside for granted. 

Many families are suffering with the loss of loved ones, but we can’t just stop with the timeline of our lives due to the spread of a disease. All we can do is try our best, but whatever happens to our planet, that’s what fate will decide. Time and hope can only tell when everything will go back to normal, but in the meantime we the people of the world can still make a difference. Please be safe by remembering to practice social distancing, staying at home, and always try to be clean as a favor to the human race.