GROWING UP FAST
SHANAYA POKHARNA,
AGE 12
Memphis
Unimaginable, unfathomable, unforgettable is how I describe 2020. My mother was sick in an isolated room for 20 days. My father, an infectious-disease physician, tirelessly cared for COVID patients, navigating the lack of supplies and finally contracting the infection himself.
The pandemic has matured me by a few years. I learned the virtues of compassion, patience, hard work, selflessness, dedication, gratefulness and passion toward one’s profession and family. This experience has made me realize that humans are capable of overcoming any adversities.
Missing friends
ISAIAH MAGALA DESTIN,
AGE 10
Charlotte, N.C.
The pandemic has made me feel a lot of ways—good, sad, weird, but mostly sad. I haven’t seen my friends in person. I can only FaceTime them on my tablet. My…
