Read Luke's Story

Hey my name is Luke D., I'm 16 years old and I'm from NJ.

- If I had 5 million dollars, I would invest - then use the rest of my time to travel and find happiness in other things besides work. 

- After High School, I want to either go right back to school or take a gap year; I haven't decided yet. 

While I don't have my life goals and career planned out in an agenda, I would say I'm very passionate about medicine. I'm good with my hands and better working under stress, and what better way to combine the two and help people at the same time? 

There were plenty of ways I was able to dive deeper into my interests before quarantine: Summer Programs, Internships, etc. However, I've got a couple books and internet courses to answer my questions and keep me busy. 

Before things went down, the swimming season had just ended and I was starting to pick up track and field. I had no idea what I was good at or what I was doing, but it was interesting nonetheless. 

It feels weird to say I don't miss these things too much. Things are simple around the house. I don't waste my breath as often - considering that there are less people I have to carry a conversation with. The energy around the house has been weird for a while, but I've taught myself to ignore it. There's no drama, no arguments with people at school, and about 80% of the people I talked to are out of my life completely. 

Quarantine has been somewhat cleansing. I have a tighter circle of friends. I'm in the best shape I've ever been in. While I miss sitting in coffee shops, playing gigs, and sleeping over at my boys' house, I can't really say I feel anything missing. Maybe a break with the cheap vacations and I'd thrive a bit more. 

Remote learning was a hot mess, but in the end I can't say I had anything to complain about. It wasn't surprising to see a couple of my teachers fall behind in terms of grading papers and assignments. Procrastination wasn't exactly my biggest enemy this time around either. I tend to focus more on extracurricular aspects of my life rather than the academic portion; this whole ordeal didn't give me any excuses for slacking off, however. The work was easy; the frequency was a pain. All in all, things worked well. Shoutout to Ms. Rivera for actually knowing the vibes, though. 

Aside from school, I've been well. Socially distanced hangouts and walks kept my social life somewhat alive, but meditation tended to be the backup plan for protecting my sanity. I'm not a stickler when it comes to routine, but I end up falling into one regardless. My parents are always on my back when it comes to planning every little thing you do before you do it - and it drives me nuts. I'm not really an angry person, however, so I keep my grievances to myself or share them with my close friends. 

With everything happening today, concerning the pandemic and humanitarian issues, I feel closed up. I sign loads of petitions and spread the word when I can, but I feel as though I'm a "slacktivist". I want to go to protests, but my mom is vulnerable. The most I end up doing is donating, and even then I feel like a bystander. I want to keep my family and friends safe, but I feel like I'm not doing enough in either regard.

The only advice I'd give to the person reading this is to not laze around too much. One of my biggest weaknesses is complacency, and it's really easy to spend all day sitting around the house or playing video games. Call your friends. Call your family in other houses. Check in on Grandma. It's one thing to stay on the couch for the wellbeing of your nuclear family, but it's different if you're content with doing so for the rest of time. 

Sign some petitions and eat healthy:)