Julian Fernandez:

2020 has to be one of the worst years of my life. I was excited to play baseball during my sophomore year and finish school, but this horrible thing known as COVID-19 ruined everything for me. School was going so well, I was making good memories with my friends and especially my seniors since it would be the last year I would spend with them. 

When COVID first started it felt very weird—weird to the point where I didn’t feel like myself anymore. Eventually I got used to staying home. COVID was to be the “highlight” of 2020 because everything took a wrong turn once that came to be. You couldn’t be outside, everything was closed, stores were not restocking, and everything was just horrible. I was so used to waking up early in the morning, going to school and seeing my friends, but now I rarely see any of them and it feels like we’re all separated from each other. 

Now that I am a junior in high school, I hope that I can spend at least half of this year with my friends and play baseball. I want to feel as if this COVID never came into existence. Other than that, I feel like the highlight of my 2020 was—without a doubt—playing baseball and getting out the house and working on my craft. Also, going to a tournament in Arizona and winning the championship. It felt good going out there getting away from Oxnard for a bit and bringing back a trophy. 

Gelina Mae Liobing:

2020. Where do I even begin? It has been an incredibly difficult year, to say the least. It’s been really tough with everything revolving around the looming threat of the virus.

The tragedies of this year have often left me feeling hopeless. Still, like everyone else, I had to keep going and just take things day by day. I went back into my schoolwork. I took up new hobbies. I did my best to virtually connect with family and friends whenever I could. 

Eventually, I did have some memorable moments and I’ll never forget what my family and friends did for my birthday this past May. It was roughly two months into quarantine with zero in-person interactions with anyone outside of my household. My birthday was coming up on the 21st and all I was expecting was a small dinner, but my mom had more planned. She had messaged my best friends and some of our family friends to surprise me with a car parade!

I have hardly ever experienced tears of joy, but on that day I did. I stood in my driveway and looked down the street to see a line of cars with balloons and birthday posters. As they came by, they honked their horns and wished me a happy birthday. I felt so loved. I felt genuine happiness in a time when it was becoming such a rarity to feel that way. I knew I was so fortunate to have had that.

When I look back on this particular year, I’m going to remember a dark time. But, I’m also going to remember how my family and I created light in spite of it.