Growth is the process of advancement in a person. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, several individuals have used the stay at home order as an opportunity to benefit their own growth.

“The stay at home order allowed me to become more well rounded and understanding,” junior Joaquin Barba said. “It has helped me to develop new skills and be more accepting of others and learn to love and accept myself.” 

For several individuals, the time at home was a time to reflect not only on themselves, but on the world as well.

“I spent a lot of time thinking during quarantine,” senior Ngoc Tran said. “It changed my attitude; it motivated me to get up and stop being lazy. I really allowed myself to be educated. I listened to Black people’s voices on social media and learned how to become a better ally.”

Not only have many been able to educate themselves on world topics, but they have also found other outlets to keep themselves busy. 

“I completed a 25 day workout plan over the summer,” Tran said. “I started skateboarding, and going on a walk [became] a must for me.” 

Some people struggled with feeling lonely at the beginning of quarantine; some became caught up in their own thoughts. 

“The first couple of months, I felt antsy and on edge most days,” Barba said. “I found that I needed people to help me. It was really mentally difficult not having my friends there to push me along.”

While some may have struggled in the first months of the stay-at-home order, others came to terms with the new normal and learned to cope with feeling lonely in a healthy way. 

“At this point, I am so confident in myself that I don’t seek validation from others,” Tran said. “If someone hurt me and never cared to take responsibility for their actions, I don’t think twice about removing myself from the unhealthy relationship.”

The order not only helped people grow as individuals, but it strengthened individuals’ relationships with the people trapped within the same four walls. 

“I have started to appreciate certain relationships more because of how secluded we have had to be due to the pandemic,” junior Emily Boslet said. “I found who my true friends were, and I have become closer to my family as well.”

Overall, the course of the stay-at-home order during the pandemic has benefitted some by strengthening their emotional, mental and physical integrity. 

“I learned to love myself,” Tran said. “I am ok being alone, because I am enough being just me. I learned to turn away from the fear of the unknown and failure. I am capable of more than I know.”