As an unprecedented year comes to an end, NASH students are finding that 2020 was a year of learning and change.  

Senior Angeline Chalifoux has been able to look back and find a positive side to this crazy year.

“2020 has taught me the importance of doing what makes you happy. I was able to do many of the activities that I enjoy and had missed doing because of school and my extracurriculars,” Chalifoux explained. “It was so nice to be able to sit on the couch and read a book that I didn’t have to think about analyzing for an essay or to finally spend a weekend frosting sugar cookies rather than building a model for cell signaling. Now, I am more willing to take a step away from my work and take a mental break without getting the anxious feeling like I need to keep on moving ahead.”

Senior Daniel Schaub has also found in 2020 that taking care of yourself is very important.

“2020 has taught me that self-care is vital to mental health and that the best way to get through a tough time is to live in the moment and act on your passions,” Schaub said.

Instead of feeling down or upset about this year, senior Alexis Arrigo has learned how important it is to be grateful for what she has in the present.

“One of the biggest things I learned from 2020 was to appreciate what I have right now. I found myself looking back a lot this year and thinking about how much I took being able to hug my friends for granted,” Arrigo said.  “I think the thing I took away most from this year was being able to appreciate what I have at this exact moment because everything can change instantly, just like it did in March.”

For senior Claire Shao, 2020 has given her a chance to catch up on things that she normally would not have been able to do in other years.

“I would say that 2020 really taught me what I would actually do if I ‘just had more time,’ like everyone always says,” Shao said.  “For me personally, I spent a lot of my time catching up on reading and spending time with my grandparents.”

Senior Slavik Comino has been able to learn more about himself and his personal beliefs.

“I have learned that sometimes it’s difficult to accept help from others, especially when you are in need, but in principle, I’ve learned to keep my determination by working hard to maintain what I believe in, which is never to depend on another individual no matter how much you truly need help in life,” Comino said.

2020 has been a hard year of learning and adapting for everyone, but when looking in retrospect, NASH students were able to adjust and learn valuable lessons.

Perhaps senior Marisa Hess has the greatest takeaway:

“I learned that you have to make the best out of everything. This year has been a year of bumps and obstacles, but you have to make the best out of whatever life gives you,” she said.