Times like the one we are living right now help us reflect and realize things in life, whether they’re big or small. I know I’ve learned many lessons through this time and I continue to do so on a day-to-day basis but I’m curious to know what students at Agua Fria have learned.

Many people, myself included, have taken this time to take care of our mental health and to become more aware of everything around us. 

“I see this time as more of a reflecting time…to step away from everything like school and work,” said Izhar Montijo, a senior at Agua Fria. “I feel like I’m able to think more for myself and I’ve seen through this time being away from my friends how many people really care for you.” 

“I’ve learned that during this time it’s really about being comfortable with yourself and being okay with your presence because I think we’re all used to being out all the time,” said Fabian Palomera, a junior here at Agua Fria and an OwlFeed Journalist.

Fabian added, “I think we’ll move forward from this very slowly… I think this will take some time and some people will suffer from paranoia.” 

On a personal level, many have found how to manage their time like they would at school and improve on their personal skills 

“I’ve learned how to manage my time and work effectively,”  said Nadia Kostic, a junior at Agua Fria. “I’ve been able to work more closely with subjects I am not as good at because I have the freedom of spending as much time as needed. I think we’ll learn that online learning does work a lot for some people so maybe it will become a bigger option for many students across the globe.”

“I’ve learned how to keep myself busy through this time. I’ve spent more time with my family and we’ve started to spend more time together,” said Ashleigh Garcia, a senior at Agua Fria. “I think it’ll take a long time to go back to normal life. People lived life freely, but there’s going to be a lot of cautious people who won’t go to events because they’re scared.”

It was very interesting hearing everyone’s perspectives about what we will take away from this. 

I think it’s safe to say that we can all move forward knowing we’re together in this. If you are someone that may struggle moving forward, you’re not alone and you can always reach out to someone because they may be feeling the same.