Businesses of the Pandemic

FEATURE

Students use quarantine to help the community

One of the positives that emerged during the pandemic has been small businesses. With normal activities cancelled, students find many ways to use their free time.

Junior Lucia Cloud decided to use her free time to make masks and help the community.

“When the pandemic started I decided that I had to learn how to make really cute masks, anticipating the lasting power of this crisis,” Cloud said.

Cloud started doing custom masks for people around town and soon started to make kid’s sizes for her mom’s store, Malula Kids Resale.

However, Cloud struggled with not overworking herself with her business. A con of running a business is it’s hard to respect personal limitations.

“When you are your boss, there is no one giving you set hours so what is keeping you from adding too much to your plate,” Cloud said.

Joining in on the mask-making opportunity, freshman Evan White also participated in making masks for the community, but for every mask she sold, she donated one mask to a local assisted living facility or the hospital.

“My family was looking for masks online and they were selling out very quickly, so my mom suggested I make some,” White said. “I made a couple for my mom and her friends and then started donating them to a few different places. “

Students used their skills not only to help others but also to take care of themselves. Junior Emma Day used her time in quarantine to start her own allergy friendly bakery from the comfort of her own home.

Day has always loved to bake, and with so much free time during the pandemic, she started practicing baking and decorating cakes. She created an instagram account and posted her newest creations. Her business grew, averaging over a thousand followers on her baking instagram account.

For those struggling to find a focus during the pandemic, Day encourages others to “just go for it.”

“You don’t need to have it all figured out when you start, the great thing about having a small business is that you get to learn and grow and figure it out as you go,” Day said.

Cakes by Emma Day @sunnyday.bakeryy instagram

pages by Hannah De Guzman photos submitted by Emma Day & Lucia Cloud story by Nisa Khosh illustration by Gus Cordova

of the usinessesB andemicP “Having a dog during quarantine has given my family a reason to get outside more as well as keep our screen time to a minimum. We decided to get Josiah because quarantine seemed like the best time to train a puppy and a new pet could lower our stress levels.” Holly Covington

Masks by Lucia Cloud

“My pets have brought me a lot of joy and distraction from COVID-19. I can relax and watch my fish or play with my hamster when I’m stressed out. I decided to get them because I think fish are really cool and super interesting, and I’d wanted a hamster for a couple months before COVID-19 started, so it was the perfect time to get a new buddy to spend quarantine with.” Stella Grove “[My geckos] made it more bearable. I got them because an old friend of mine had geckos too and I thought they were a really cool pet to have.” Amanda Nelson “My dad and I chose to get a pet because I had been bothering him about it because it was really boring just being home. And he made a difference by giving my life something different everyday. He’s always getting into stuff, always giving me things to clean up.” Jade Shaw

Pets Pandemic of the

Stuck in quarantine, families turned to new furry friends for comfort.