They called us pioneers.
Less than four months into our freshman year of high school, the class of 2021 faced our first hurdle. We all watched as the school we just learned to call home burned to the ground.
We faced the smoldering remains with strength as we united to recover the campus however we could.
We wore medical grade masks to protect us from the ashes that lingered in the air. Our campus is our home within nature, and the fresh air was taken away from us.
With our prized buildings destroyed and our classes moved into portable rooms, we were now what Mr. Floyd called “pioneers” for future classes. Little did he know, the Thomas Fire of 2017 was only the first of the many challenges we would face.
As our campus recovered and my mask came down, I felt liberated to breathe clean air once again. The hardest days of my high school career had passed. Life felt normal.
That is, until March 2020, when the open air was stifled again by masks and we were sent home to learn on our computers.
The air lost its newfound purity as disease lingered, threatening our community. The Coronavirus forced our class to dissipate as we went a full year without connecting. Although we reunited in 2021 on campus, the safety guidelines kept distance between us and masks upon us.
We follow these guidelines without protest, hoping that our efforts will result in a college experience free of the hardships we faced in the past four years.
The pandemic will prevent some of us from attending graduation.
“Uncertainty keeps creeping around the corners,” said senior Oliver Chen. “I’ve had to deal with so much on my own and grow up so much in so little time.” Oliver is one of the many students who have had to learn online for the entirety of senior year.
After being sent home to quarantine, we witnessed a major turning point for our nation as we went into protest with three words: “I can’t breathe.” The murder of George Floyd opened our eyes to the racial injustices in our country.
Our class has learned the realities of the world, and adaptability has become our trademark. Sydnee Rousseau expressed her pride for our class, stating, “our class has faced challenge after challenge, and somehow we are still pulling through with incredible achievements.”
Although we did not have a “normal” high school experience, we remain optimistic as we head into college. Student council president Mark Pindur said, “maybe this is just the new normal.”
I began high school with my face covered to protect me from the ashes, and I will now graduate wearing the same mask to protect those around me. The obstacles of the past four years have promoted incredible growth within our class.
The future will hold a day when the class of 2021 will come together as alumni, unmasked on campus, experiencing the fresh air of normality as we celebrate the rebirth of OVS and all we have overcome.