What have Kean students learned during quarantine?
By Valerie Sanabria | Published by October 7, 2020
Kean University students were supposed to return to campus on March 16, 2020 after the spring recess. Instead of returning they began remote education “to minimize the density of people on campus and reduce the potential health risk from COVID-19” according to an email sent out from the vice president of academic affairs, Susan Bousquet.
Marcela Delgado Palacios who is in her second semester at Kean never thought Covid-19 would reach the U.S. the way it did. “I never expected a situation like this, never,” Delgado Palacios said, “the way it spread and the elevated number of deaths, I never thought something like that could happen.”
But for her the pandemic has brought negative and positive things. Losing her job and having to be in quarantine gave her time to be with her family and to help her eight-year-old daughter with remote education.
“I have learned to value what I have,” said Delgado Palacios, “that is the good thing it has brought to my life.”
Being in quarantine also gave Delgado Palacios the opportunity to learn how to be calm for her eight-year-old daughter. “It has helped me to learn how to control myself and don’t get frustrated,” said Delgado Palacios, “and also show serenity in front of my children.”
For Maria Kukla, a student majoring in education and Spanish, quarantine was a type of mini-vacation and a time to rest. “The first week I thought ‘well, we are staying home. Let’s rest, mini-vacation,’ ” Kukla said, “but then I was scared when it was not over soon enough.”
Quarantine for Kukla has been a time to be home with her family and do activities together. “I have learned to value the time I spend with my family,” said Kukla, “we do activities together, watch movies together, we appreciate what we have.”
“I hated computers and the internet, the only thing I could do was type an email and send it,” Kukla said, “now I’m an expert, I can share my screen and do PowerPoints and add audio to those.” With excitement Kukla explained about the technological skills she has acquired during the isolation period.
Another student whose life has changed since quarantine started and has also learned valuable lessons is Rosa Huanchi Condori. The Kean University student majoring in early childhood education lost both her parents recently to Covid-19. It has not been easy for her but going through that event has taught her to be strong for her loved ones.
“I never thought I would go through such a difficult situation,” said Huanchi Condori, “ but I have to be strong because I’m a mother. My children see me as their support and also my parents family.”
Katherine Pujols, who is also a Kean student majoring in marketing has used her time in quarantine to learn to edit photos, videos, and to cook. “I learned how to use editing programs, both for videos and photos,” Pujols said, “I learned how to cook some of my favorite meals, for example lasagna.”
Most people have been in quarantine for six months already and some are worried about the future, but for Kukla the pandemic keeps teaching lessons and uniting people.
“What I really have learned is to persevere, never give up hope, and keep going,” said Kukla, “also to be united with my classmates and my community. Not everything has been negative, good things have also happened.”