When Covid-19 first arrived in the United States in January of 2020, its impact was overlooked. The first domestic case was recorded on the west coast, and nobody could’ve predicted the extremity of what was about to happen. Covid-19 spread throughout the nation, eventually making its way to the northeast. New York City became the national and global epicenter for the virus. Schools, businesses, jobs, and arenas closed down. Here, at Greenwich Country Day, students and faculty were all forced to isolate themselves in their homes and continue school remotely after spring break. 

Although everyone has been impacted by the pandemic in some way, some people have been hit harder than others. People with underlying health conditions or living with older family members have had an even more significant burden. 

Within the Country Day community Ella Brahmst (17), a junior at the upper school shared her story of how her family dealt with the pandemic. Her world flipped upside down when the pandemic hit. Despite not having any underlying health conditions of her own, Ella and her family had to be cautious for their grandparents, who lived with them for the latter half of the pandemic and were more at risk due to old age and weaker immune systems. Ella and her brother, Quinn, quarantined under their roof for nearly four months following the shut down of in-person school. This new lifestyle impacted her mentally. 

“This global pandemic has shaped me to be the person I am today. During my 4 months in complete lockdown, I began to realize that without making a purpose for my life, there is no purpose in life. So I found what I thought my purpose was and I was ready to live it. But the world began to move without me as my family kept me inside.”

Ella’s story illustrates how she took a horrible experience and turned it into something positive. By taking on a new mindset, she was able to grow and find purpose on her own. 

Her quarantine, “…led to growth and maturity. But these come with prices within a family that has such conflicting lives. While my sibling and I wanted to live our last years of adolescence in a somewhat normal way, our parents did not listen to our opinions out of fear of the pandemic. With both sides having valid points, the division caused distrust, corruption, sadness, and a large impact on our family dynamic.” 

Ella, like many others, dealt with inner conflict while also being shut off from society. The additional responsibilities of caring for her grandparents led her to mature and grow as a person. Looking into the future though, there is new hope with vaccines finally being distributed. 

Ella says, “Today (April 27th, 2021) I got my second vaccine, after a whole year of a strict lockdown.  With my household now fully immune, I believe that our lives will become compatible and understanding to enjoy our last year before college.” 

Hopefully, the vaccinations will finally lead all Americans towards the normalcy of society before the pandemic.

Image via: CDC