Not once did we ever expect a global pandemic to occur in our lifetimes. During such a historical event, the graduating class of 2020 was arguably affected the most because now, they're moving into the next chapter of their lives with an inconceivable amount of uncertainty.
After being robbed of their biggest crowning achievement of walking across a stage to celebrate the completion of 4-5 grueling years of higher education, they're collectively asking themselves "what now?". An uncertain job market, an economy that's effectively ruined, and a whole "new normal" are all dictating their futures in some way.
To gain a little more insight, I spoke to four 2020 graduates from Oklahoma State University. Throughout my college experience, even high school for some, I had the pleasure of meeting the amazing panelists below. Though they all chose to take different paths in life, they shared the same drive and determination to cross the finish line regardless of what was thrown at them - and boy, was a global pandemic one heck of an obstacle.
Before we dive into everyone's input, let's meet our graduated panelists!
Canva Design - Odyssey
What has it been like spending your last semester under quarantine amidst the coronavirus pandemic?
Haylie- It was a little different than how I expected my last semester to go because I still felt that there were things I wanted to experience before graduating. It was also hard to communicate with group members on projects because of the lack of internet connection, a quiet area in the house, or other responsibilities.
Charles- My last semester was interrupted by COVID-19. I was student teaching at Guthrie High School with the band program. The teachers and students were great, and I was having a great time learning and teaching. When COVID-19 came around and I got the notification that I couldn't return to my student teaching after Spring Break, I was heartbroken. But, in the midst of it came some good. In that time, I was able to reach out to mentors and teachers from all over the world and learn great new things.
Melissa- There's not one word that can fully describe what spending your last semester in quarantine is like.. It's been sad, really. I'm sad I didn't get to go on a cruise with my friends for our last Spring Break that we had planned for a whole year. It won't ever be that easy for all of us to get together again. I'm sad that I gave my last campus tour without even knowing it. I'm sad about all of the banquets, ceremonies, and parties we didn't get to attend and celebrate. I'm sad we didn't have a graduation ceremony and be celebrated for our achievements. I'm sad I didn't get to say goodbye to my favorite professors and my classmates. I'm sad I didn't get to spend my last days as an OSU student on campus.
Isaiah- Well, though it's technically not my last semester since I graduated OSU in 2019 and have been pursuing my Master's in mathematics, it's definitely been very stressful and lonely. I am a very social person and have a consistent routine with each week, however, the coronavirus pandemic completely changed that all. It also made the unknown very scary.
Of all the things you missed out on during quarantine, what has been the hardest to accept?
Haylie- I think the only thing I was really disappointed about was Calf fry being cancelled. I had been looking forward to it since I got the tickets last December.
Charles- Out of everything, the one thing that was the hardest to accept is that I never got to give a proper goodbye to my students.
Melissa- I'm an introvert, so quarantine really isn't that hard for me. But the hardest to accept was not being able to go back to class or be on campus. I remember my last day on campus. I had class at 9:30 in the morning, then went to AOII to work on an exam due later that day and to grab lunch. I got my lunch to-go and went to work. I was a campus tour guide and I loved every minute of it! I even joked on my tour with Brayden, a fellow tour guide, about it being the last tour I give, turns out that I was right. The tour ended late but I didn't care because they were a great group! But I also needed to finish my exam and turn it in across campus. I turned it in with 2 minutes to spare and my shins can vouch for that. While I was working on my Capstone, a senior year semester long project, with my group members, I would get upset that I couldn't talk to them in person. Or that I couldn't walk down the hall to ask my professors questions. Or hang out in the halls of Ag Hall talking about the next time my tree friends and I are gonna have a S'Mores Night. It was hard trying to navigate classes and do a big presentation over Zoom. Even though I'm an introvert, it was hard not being able to be close to my Cowboy Family one last time in my collegiate career. But I'm Loyal and True, so you will see me again Stillwater!
Isaiah- The one thing that was the hardest was not being able to say goodbye to my friends who will end up leaving Stillwater and not come back. I've known some of these people for four years, and accepting the fact that I'm not able to say my final goodbyes was very emotional for me.
What has been a silver lining?
Haylie- I had gotten injured in the fall semester, so I was unable to see my family as much as I wanted to. When it was announced that we would spend the remaining weeks at home after Spring Break, it allowed me to get to see my family a lot more, and it kind of made up for all the time I was not able to see them.
Charles- I was able to take time to work on myself and my relationship, all the while continuing to grow as a teacher with online classes and webinars.
Melissa- My life has slowed way down since quarantine started. That was hard to accept at first because before everything, I was one of the busiest people you had ever met. A full schedule and running around campus brings me happiness. I love being busy, I like to be on-the-go and active. I thought I was going to lose my mind during quarantine. Turns out, my body and my mind needed a break from being so busy. I wish it wouldn't have happened during my LAST semester, but I don't make the rules here. I chose to come to peace with what I could not control and filled my days with whatever I wanted. I'm serious, whatever I wanted. The first thing I did was take my watch off of my wrist. I couldn't stand constantly knowing what time it was. It made me feel like I had to constantly be doing something so I wouldn't feel guilty about not being productive. "Time doesn't exist," I always said to my roommate. Some days, I would spend numerous hours deep cleaning different parts of the house. Spring cleaning meets pandemic and results in a cleaning craze. But it kept me busy and my roommates were happy to be living in such a clean home. Other days, I wouldn't leave the couch, unless it was to get food of course. Every single day though, I would drink my coffee outside in the sun and watch the birds. We always had cardinals and blue jays in our backyard, a family of squirrels too! I would take Lilo, my roommate's dog, on a walk. We both needed the exercise. My silver lining is that I got to take a breather and slow down. And while I was catching my breath, I was able to go back to hobbies that I never had time for and made me more grateful for the little things in my day to day life.
Isaiah- Knowing that I will see other friends back in the fall and making sure we catch up on lost time. There's always hope for a bigger and brighter future and this pandemic won't tear away one year of my life.
What have you done to make up for some graduation traditions you aren't able to participate in?
Haylie- I watched my virtual graduation and decided to wait on having my graduation party until I walk with the rest of the class of 2020 in the fall.
Charles- Not a lot. I took graduation pictures, but I haven't done anything with them yet.
Melissa- There's not much or anything big that you can do to make up for graduation traditions during a pandemic. So my roommate, Emily, and I would do little things like drive through campus instead of going around it. Most nights, we would sit on our roof with a beer or two and an orange to watch the sunset. We had a pretty good view, shoutout to W 5th. We had lots of game nights playing Monopoly Deal (it's way better than the board game,) dominoes, Uno, Chinese checkers, and a 2000 piece puzzle that did not get finished by the time we needed to move out. But there's nothing I can do to fully make up for missing the normal graduation traditions. I think a part of me will always be a little sad that we didn't get to experience what we should have. I'm too much of a sentimental sap not to be a little saddened by it.
Isaiah- I definitely had a wine night with my roommate to celebrate the end of the semester. The great thing was that we go immensely close being locked up together.
What are your next steps, and have they been impacted by the coronavirus?
Haylie- For now, my next steps will be to continue working at my job and apply for vet school this fall.Nothing really had an impact on things I did though.
Charles- I'm wanting to move out of Oklahoma and find an intermittent job before I reapply to Masters Degree programs.
Melissa- Well, two weeks after graduation two of my greatest friends were supposed to get married. The day after the wedding, I would have gotten on a plane for a long flight to Africa. It would've been either Kenya or The Congo in an orphanage. There, I would be building structures and hydroponic systems while teaching how to maintain and also build. It was important to me to go out into the world and to help people. I had found my passion in college to serve and I wanted to use my education in natural resources to be a resource for others so that they can be self-sufficient and independent. The hydroponic systems would allow the orphanages to grow their own food to feed their children and their goats, used for their milk. These systems are important because their soil is not good enough to grow food in. This was the first opportunity I had heard of that felt like a step in the right direction for what I wanted to do with my career and my life. All in the span of one week, I was presented with the opportunity, acted on it and said yes, and was accepted. It felt good, it felt right. I had finally felt some peace with graduating in May and moving on in the adult world. COVID-19 had other plans and I was crushed. That's where I would be right now if we weren't experiencing a pandemic. The world sure does know how to keep you on your toes. So for now, I'm hanging out with my family, helping out around the house with projects, and cooking in the kitchen often.
Isaiah- My next steps are continuing my Master's and they most definitely have been impacted. The education environment has now shifted dramatically and there has been a huge push for distant learning or online education, and it makes it difficult for some students. Not only this, but it is very difficult to teach certain subjects online, like mathematics.
What is the worst thing someone can say to a Class of 2020 graduate?
Haylie- "You can just wait until December", because we've already been waiting for the past four years for this big day, we've already planned the party and invited everyone... It's kind of like celebrating your birthday six months after the fact - no one would really want to do that.
Charles- That due to COVID-19 and not finishing our degrees in-person, that are degrees mean less than any other graduating class.
Melissa- Anything about a job really. I had plans and they were ruined. It's hard enough trying to navigate in the adult world post graduation, how are you supposed to do that in the middle of a pandemic?? You don't know? Well, me either. So just let me enjoy my time off and let me tend to my plants.
Isaiah- "Congratulations!"
What is one piece of advice you'd love to give to the Class of 2021?
Haylie- Try to participate in everything you can because you'll make more connections, get you out of your comfort zone, and you might find something new that you like.
Charles- No matter if things go back to normal or not, it is going to be stressful. Just push through. As someone who didn't think they were going to make it all the way through, I can tell you that it takes strength and resilience to make it, and I believe anybody can do it.
Melissa- Don't say no when presented with a good opportunity for you! If I had said no to some of the things people came to me with, I don't think I would be the person that I am today. I have done all kinds of crazy things. One time, I lead groups of kids and adults into a "haunted forest" at Mike Gundy's house my sophomore year. If I hadn't have gone to freeze my toes off, I wouldn't have been paired with another girl who happened to be one of my interviewers for Campus Tour Guide a semester later. If I had told Rachel Martin, "No, I don't want to watch grown adults scream and run at the jump scares," maybe she wouldn't have pushed me to go to a meeting where she would ask me if I was interested in being Panhellenic President. Now, I'm not a time traveler and I can't predict the future, so I don't know for certain if these things are connected and were made possible for these reasons specifically, but you get what I'm saying. However, I do know that I have had the most amazing opportunities to serve other people, to network and meet people who eventually became my mentors and my friends, to learn and try new things, and to become a better person. I found out what I didn't like to do, which helped be find what I'm passionate about and what I wanted to fight for. I met people that I didn't like, which helped me figure out what kind of people I wanted to surround myself with. Go out and experience the world!
Isaiah- Savor the moments, because you never know when the next pandemic could hit.
What about the last few months do you think you'll remember the most?
Haylie- Online classes should have never been a thing.
Charles- The way that people really need human interaction. It gets lonely but being around people, especially people you love, really helps.
Melissa- I think I'll remember all of the mayhem the most, unfortunately. Something to remember these crazy times by. These last few months haven't been easy, but they have taught me a lot. I've learned more about myself, like how my body handles stress and what I can control. I've learned to listen more to other people, cause I sure as heck don't have all the answers. I have a little journal that I originally started for Lent, and now I've been updating it with whatever new event has happened.
Isaiah- Emailing my professors almost everyday wondering what will happen and trying to figure out what to do on my own. It was definitely stressful for me but I could easily see how much more stressful it could have been for my professors.
Aside from COVID-19 affecting your senior year, what's one Oklahoma State memory (or memories) that you'll hold onto forever?
Haylie- Learning how to two-step because it's my favorite thing to do now. I took the classes that are held at the Colvin, and they helped me learn different line and partner dances.
Charles- Being able to put together an entire concert of original music with some of the nation's most talented and hard-working musicians. My composition recital in 2019 will be one memory I will never forget and I will never be able to thank those involved enough.
Melissa- Oklahoma State will always have my heart! It's impossible to narrow it down to one memory. I think the one that sticks out to me the most is planting trees on Western my sophomore year of college. The OSU student chapter of the Society of American Foresters spent a Saturday helping the urban forester plant some new trees. It's one of my favorite memories because some of my favorite classmates/friends were there and we were doing something that we loved. My major is quite small so the majority of us had the same schedule each semester all 4 years. You could say we got pretty close! Thinking of my tree friends then reminds me of all of the fields trips, summer camps, study nights, labs, even jobs that we shared. I couldn't have made it through college without them! The other end of this memory is the trees that we planted. Now, there's a little piece of me connecting me to OSU so long as those trees are there!
Isaiah- Definitely making friendships that I know will last a lifetime.
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