The year of 2020 was an unpredictable year for everyone, and especially for Fenwick students. The school year of 2020 went from hybrid learning to fully remote learning due to COVID cases in the building. However, this year, students are able to attend Fenwick full time in-person with all of their fellow classmates, unlike last year when they only met half. The classes were divided into A and B groups and the A group would be in the building when the B group would be remote and vice-versa. This year’s return to in-person learning is a huge transition, especially for the Class of 2024, and here are their perspectives on the subject.

     Students from the Class of 2024 were interviewed about what they liked and did not like about their remote learning experience last year. “The first semester, I was motivated,” said Cailey Peele ’24, “But towards the end of the last semester, I was not motivated at all. I just laid in my bed and didn’t do anything.” Like Cailey Peele, other students said that it was extremely hard to stay motivated while e-learning because there were either not enough Zoom classes or they felt lazy being at home doing work on their beds. Student athletes like Marijana Brajkovic ’24 were robbed of some games due to COVID and e-learning as well. “We missed out on our last game of freshman volleyball due to an outbreak of COVID from the other team,” said Brajkovic. “It came without a warning and it was a weird way to end our season.” Whether students were athletes or not, they all were robbed of a normal freshman year.

     This year is like a light at the end of a tunnel for the Class of 2024. They finally get a chance to interact with their classmates, make memories that will last a lifetime, and get a real feel of what high school is like (football games, dances, club events, etc). Elizabeth Garcia-Chavez ’24 expressed, “I was both excited and nervous to go back every day because I didn’t know half of the freshman class. I was excited that I would have school every day and I wouldn’t struggle as much.” For some students, the most challenging part of last year was not the school work, but socializing. Socialization is a huge part of life, and with the masks, it makes it even harder to talk to people you have never met before. Cailey Peele stresses, “I am excited for all of the high school events, such as football games, and meeting new friends.” By engaging in community activities, such as football games, students are able to support Fenwick, learn more about their class, and meet new students. Even after going through all the struggles with e-learning last year, students seem to be excited to experience clubs, activities, sports and classes in-person.