“That we can create a truly just and equitable society - one in which every life has equal value, we begin to problem solve with the understanding that humans are complex creatures made of many parts, that an ecosystem of issues requires an ecosystem of solutions / support, and listening is the most effective tool in every setting.”

“As an educator: Equity in education. A community oriented and culturally responsive curriculum. Spaces where children and their families can heal and organize.”

“For real justice and for science about climate change to be taken seriously and acted upon.”

“Throughout this time of not being able to see my friends, everything is hazy. My thoughts are hazy, my memories are hazy, and my emotions are hazy. It sucks ass.”

“My friends, my family and complete strangers can die and have died from this virus. I completely understand that. But I still feel sad and disappointed knowing my friends who should be graduating this year are not getting the experiences that they always dreamed of as they went through school. Prom, senior trips, road trips, vacations, and most importantly graduation. I hear their dreams of walking across the stage with a diploma in their hands going down the drain with every piece of news that comes out. Not only are students drained from online learning, we do not have the motivation. We do not have the same amount of learning as we did before. And we do not have the patience for it. It’s got to the point where we just want our school to pass us. We are tired of being stressed, lonely, worried, and disappointed over and over again.”

“Oddly enough I feel like this time has created more connection for me. I FaceTime, text, call and zoom people more often than ever before. I’ve also talked with, zoomed or messaged people that I haven’t spoken to in such a long time. It feels like although we’re all separate from one another this crazy time is bringing us all closer together.”

“For me, the most prominent reaction I had was denial, not in the sense that I didn’t acknowledge the virus exists, but more like - even with all these changes, I can still live my life as normal, just with less face to face interaction. I was trying to reassure my family that all these changes were fine, even when they were really not, so I acted like nothing affected me. However, my facade of indifference has cracked at the oddest times: in my first conference call for work, I had a panic attack; I cried listening to happy songs; I did a video conference with some kids from my youth group, and I teared up once I saw their faces. I still am not ready to express my grief to my family, and I probably won’t ever be ready for that, so I’m so very thankful for this space.”

“I wish I had the imagination and fortitude that I had as a young child. I was able to make the best of any situation and come up with a creative solution, exploring different worlds in books and cartoons that helped me to explore from the comfort of my home. Playing out full games with my sister where we would create whole stories that could be plays or novels themselves with full imagery that we could ever need. So much energy to just do. Nowadays I feel like i attached everything imaginative and creative to school and work and lost it to create a world for myself. Feeling trapped at home but knowing that other people are helping to save people’s lives and help this world continue, I feel envigored to imagine again.”

“I feel nervous and guilty writing this but I’ve realised that I’m not close or connected to anyone around me. I’ve kinda felt like this for a while so I’ve been making sure to communicate with everyone during isolation to try and hopefully change it, but I just feel completely disconnected from them. I don’t feel as though I have a meaningful, personal connection with anyone. I know it’s my own fault but I don’t know what to do, especially with so many limitations now. How do I connect with them during this time when I couldn’t before? I feel like a fraud.”

“I feel nervous and guilty writing this but I’ve realised that I’m not close or connected to anyone around me. I’ve kinda felt like this for a while so I’ve been making sure to communicate with everyone during isolation to try and hopefully change it, but I just feel completely disconnected from them. I don’t feel as though I have a meaningful, personal connection with anyone. I know it’s my own fault but I don’t know what to do, especially with so many limitations now. How do I connect with them during this time when I couldn’t before? I feel like a fraud.”