UP! by Kamryn Cole

by Kamryn Cole

Before COVID I was struggling with depression. It was easy to hide because I could hang out with friends to avoid facing reality.

But, being stuck in the house for over a year gave me nothing but time to reflect and grow as a person. While being at home I was forced to face my problems and I was able to revisit the past to move on. I was also able to see peoples’ true colors and able to realize that I needed to cut off toxic friendships that brought nothing but negativity into my life. In a way I’m grateful that COVID happened so that I could take a break and focus on my mental health.

After my family and I got vaccinated, life became a little more normal. Unfortunately, not long after, my mom and I ended up testing positive for COVID. We were forced to quarantine from the rest of our family so that they didn’t also get sick. Being in quarantine with my mom ended up being a blessing in disguise. I was able to truly open up to her and build our relationship even stronger than it already was. I was also able to strengthen my relationship with God.

Because this is my senior year, I really hope things go back to normal so we can have an in-person graduation and prom. Until then, I’ll use the quarantine as time to continue growing as a person and to continue strengthening my relationship with my family, friends, and God. As Shania Twain sings, “there’s no way but up from here.”

LADIES FIRST!

HONORING WOMEN TRAILBLAZERS IN MUSIC AND DANCE

Ella Fitzgerald, the first woman to win multiple Grammy awards (1958)

Judy Garland, the first woman to win Album of the Year (1961)

Carole King, the first woman to win Song of the Year and first to win multiple General Field Grammys (1971)

Loretta Lynn, the first woman named Entertainer of the Year from the Country Music Association (1972) Evelyn Cisneros-Legate, the first prima ballerina in the United States of Hispanic heritage (1977)

Debra Austin, the first African-American woman to become a principal at a major American ballet company (1982)

Aretha Franklin, the first woman inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (1987)

Misty Copeland, the first African-American woman to be promoted to principal dancer in American Ballet Theater (2015)