Birds chirped in the air, flowers bloomed, and campuses were full of life, with students walking to and from class, chatter and laughter in the air. A few months later, the world stopped. It was the middle of March 2020. Everything changed, and students found themselves in the midst of a global pandemic.

Jamilah was a ninth grader in Pennsylvania when the COVID-19 pandemic first started. She attended brick and mortar schools all her life, but now, things were drastically different as remote learning began. Initially, it was nice to have a couple additional days off after spring break, but as the two-month mark approached, Jamilah and her classmates missed social interaction.

They missed friendly chats in the hallways and being face to face with their teachers and classmates. They missed the cafeteria, extracurricular activities, and team sports. They suffered unprecedented effects in that unprecedented time. Now, Jamilah shares her own experiences and observations from the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic.