Oregon Secretary of State

Oregon Student Essays 2023 - Anileh Chen

Oregon Blue Book Covid-19 Essay

Written by Anileh Chen

Teacher: Frederic Germer, 2nd Grade
Hope Chinese Charter School

Drawing shows a girl in a boat on the ocean gazing out at a light house on the shore. A bright light shines from the light house

Covid-19 marked an epoch in my life. It was a whirlwind; mixing feelings. I said goodbye to Ms. Dennis for Spring Break, and it was like that Spring Break never ended. We had changed from rarely using computers to relying on them for everything concerning our learning. Sometimes I missed lessons because the computer wasn't working. Often I'd stay up late trying to type out essays. School had clearly changed along with the rest of the world. Even two years later, I couldn't go to school without hearing 'Covid-19' thrice a week. To add on, we had to wear masks each day, which was rather unpleasant.

Change is contrary and often confusing. It's like the wind, quickly turning course. Yet sometimes change is good, like a new friend who becomes such an important part of your life that you wonder how you'd lived without her. My family was able to have more R.V. trips or "Great Explorations". Not only that; as people became less interactive, we'd find welcoming silence replacing the crowds. Another bright ​side was that my sisters could watch my zoom lessons, so they'd be prepared for Second Grade.

Covid-19 was a hard change, so desperately hard that some people still aren't adjusted to it. It came thundering down on us, taking us by surprise. Despite this, I believe we need not be discouraged. Nowhere in the world is without love and joy, even in difficult times. We should understand this pandemic not merely as another obstacle on our path but a reminder to be grateful for our blessings. I have learned to always hold on to hope. Hope is the joy of sailors reaching a lighthouse full of guidance. Through the darkness Coronavirus brings, hope is light for the world. We surely needed it for ours.


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