The Senior Year That Wasn’t: Elaine L.

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Many of us would agree that our Senior year of High School was one of the most memorable years of our life. Between graduation, college acceptance letters, Prom, and the knowledge that it’s the last year spent in your hometown (and parents’ house no less), it’s a time that we both never want to end, and can’t get past soon enough. Unfortunately, for the class of 2020, most of these traditions were devastated by COVID-19. In this series, we chat with Seniors to find out the extent of the impact to their final year of High School and what they’ve done to salvage those memories.

Meet Elaine L., a senior at Beijing Huijia Private School.

Can you briefly walk us through how COVID-19 has evolved for you, personally?

I learned about COVID-19 through news, but I underestimated its scope and duration. At first, nobody believed that it would interfere with the IB Exam, but here it does. So I guess it’s better to be prepared for the worst in the next few months.

Senior year of High School is supposed to be one of the most memorable years of your life. Unfortunately however, you and your peers aren’t getting to enjoy all that it has to offer. Can you tell us a bit about that? What are the conversations that are happening amongst your friends right now?

Despite everything that happened, my friends and I have still been able to share the precious experience of college application and to be each other’s mental support, which is really great.

What activities were you most looking forward to this year that have either been postponed or canceled?

I had to cancel my graduation trip, but the graduation ceremony will probably be held as usual. I am really thankful for it because there are countless opportunities to travel in life, while we only get to graduate once.

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Has COVID-19 affected your ability to graduate at all?

As far as I know, we are not taking the IB Exam this May, which is what I personally regret the most, above all other postponements and cancellations. Having studied IB for so many years, I really wish to sit the full exam to test my learning. I can’t help feeling that my high school experience is incomplete.

Has COVID-19 affected your plans for after graduation? If so, how?

I’m planning to get my driving license and hopefully go to college this August. But who knows when will I get my student visa?

Despite all that has happened this year, have you done anything to try and salvage these last few months of your High School experience? Have you and your friends been able to “hang out” on Zoom or FaceTime? Have you made backup plans for a Prom in case it gets officially canceled?

In the past three months I have only talked to my friends on the phone. I feel like people are not in the mood for hanging out right now.

Is there anything else you’d like to include that hasn’t been asked?

The COVID-19 took away some events and experiences that we expected, but at the same time, it gives us a pause to try something new and to learn to appreciate what we usually take for granted.

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Photos: Elaine L, unsplash

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