MEET ELLA

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Hey Quaranteens! I’m Ella A. and I’m 16. I’m from New Jersey, USA. My favorite book at the moment is The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, I highly recommend it as it's such a powerful book. My favorite movie is The Breakfast Club! I love to travel and I’ve always wanted to go to Iceland and Thailand. I really aspire to be a writer, a filmmaker, an artist, and a scientist. Is that too much? I’m passionate about helping the environment, educating myself, and making an

impact in my community. A few things I miss from before quarantine are hanging out with my friends, the freedom of being able to go anywhere and not worry about my health, movie theaters, traveling, school, and so much more. As far as my extracurricular activities, I am on a swim team in the winter and I was a part of the stage crew club at my school. I took up art and writing classes outside of school as well. Quarantine has been tough for me, as I know it has been for everyone. As an only child, I rely on my friends for company. As much as my inner introverted self loves “me time”, I miss sleep-overs and walking into downtown to grab lunch with friends after school. I realize that I am most productive when I have a routine and structure. Although routine can get old for me, I need to have at least somewhat of a schedule I can rely on. School during this time has been very
different. I found myself cramming at the last minute (more than I used to) and driving myself crazy. I had a manageable workload. It was a lot, yes, but nothing I know I couldn’t do. But with all this stress it became very overwhelming. I only had two teachers who were doing zooms on a
regular basis. It was an attempt to feel “normal” but it didn’t really. Going to school wasn’t ever really something I particularly looked forward to, it was just a routine. I miss it now, being in a
learning environment instead of on my bed. It was something I could rely on everyday. Then like that, this normal vanished and got replaced by this scary world that I never thought was
possible. Nevertheless, I have taken this time to optimize my education, even though school sometimes felt pointless. I did my best and I finished the school year with much success. I always try to find the silver lining in all situations. This time it may be a little less bright, but I know it’s still there. I learned how to cook something other than

eggs, pasta, or pancakes and I made a few delicious meals! I have spent this time getting closer with my parents by cooking with my mom, going on hikes with my parents and my chocolate lab, Willow, and having more meals as a family. I have also been able to spend more time with my kitten, Pongo, who we rescued only a couple months before quarantine. I used this time to improve on my art and writing skills. Music, as it is such a big part of my life, has helped me so much throughout quarantine. Staying in contact with the people I love has been, in a weird way, hard. I found that sometimes when I needed to talk to people the most, I stayed off of my phone and isolated myself. I learned that if I need someone to talk to (besides my parents who I love,) I should always reach out. You never know how much a simple “hey” from a friend you haven’t talked to in a while can mean on both ends. The world is changing very fast, especially here in the United States of America,

(which I’m finding more and more to be an ironic name for this country). Stores and restaurants are slowly reopening, as well as the once vacant streets of New York. Sidewalks and highways are busier than they were a month ago. While all of this is proof that there is light at the end of the tunnel, a part of me is still concerned for the safety and health of others. I want to end this entry by saying that I wish you the best, truly. Whatever that may mean for you. Whatever you may be going through, you're not alone. Reach out to your friends, family, peers. It is imperative to reach out to the people we love or appreciate in our lives right now. Stay safe, and thank you for reading this. :)