How the pandemic has changed us for the better

USD students reflect on one whole year within a global pandemic and how they still managed to grow and better themselves 

Taylor DeGuzman / Arts & Culture Editor / The USD Vista 

At the start of March 2020, no one expected what the next year would bring. 

People held on to each other for the last time, they grieved, they cried, and they constantly told the people in their lives how much they loved them. People felt physically and emotionally distant from the ones they loved. 

For the first time, some truly didn’t know what was going to happen next. And in the moment, many couldn’t grasp the idea that any goodness or any light could come from one of the darkest years. 

Yet, even on the darkest days with the cloudiest skies, the sun still shines and there is always room for the light to be felt. 

After a year in a global pandemic, people have changed, people have fallen in love with themselves again, people have learned valuable lessons, and people have grown into a better version of themselves. 

On March 12, 2020, USD students received an email that they will never forget: all students in dorms had to relocate off-campus and all classes became virtual. Though it has been a difficult year since then, USD students shared how the pandemic changed them for the better.  

USD senior, Maddy Bass, described the person she was a year ago as someone who was distracted, overly involved, and too busy for a healthy, active social life. It would be an understatement to say that Bass had too much on her plate: she was a USD Resident Assistant, part-time student employee, intern, University Ministry retreat leader, sorority member, leader for two clubs, and a full-time student. 

She found it hard to say “no” to invitations and worked herself to the point of exhaustion.

“I believed that productivity was the key to happiness; but, after a while, I felt mentally drained,” Bass said. “I was constantly waking up late for class, calling in sick for work shifts because I was low on sleep, and skipping meals because I simply did not have time to eat.” 

When students had to move off campus, Bass was both relieved and disappointed at the sudden change of pace in her life. While she was happy to finally take a break and catch a breather, Bass’ life was flipped upside down from always doing something to practically doing nothing — she had never had free time since she started college. 

“I slowly spiraled into a period of anxiety and deep loneliness, but the extra space in my life encouraged me to see the life that I was living on campus,” Bass said. “I felt unintentional with my time, constantly making excuses, changing plans, and cramming things into my schedule. I was not always a sincere friend and the time that I gave to people felt conditional as if it was just another thing to check off my to-do list.” 

Amidst remote learning, Bass found a silver lining while at home, that helped her find inner peace and strength. While the “on-campus version” of herself barely had time for anyone else, let alone herself, Bass found limitless time to heal emotionally, socially, and mentally.  

“I started utilizing the USD Health Center and going to therapy, and I know that therapy and counseling are not the only solutions to achieving mental stability, but for me, it was a space I could be vulnerable and emotional without distractions,” she said. 

It was an “imperfect improvement process,” Bass said, but one that opened her eyes to who she was before, and how much time alone allowed her to grow into a better person who now has a better understanding of her needs. 

Now, Bass has time to explore different passions that she’s always wanted to pursue. 

“I started to write a lot, which was a talent of mine I kind of brushed under the rug when life got too stressful,” Bass said. “Writing became a powerful outlet for me to connect with people, and I ended up submitting a lot of articles I wrote to different blogs and websites. I feel like I grew in storytelling and finding value in my life story and value in others’ stories.” 

“The pandemic has given me more of a reason to live”

For USD junior Camille Abaya, this past year she has had the ability to change her negative thought patterns, learn valuable lessons, and begin to see how beautiful life can be. 

Abaya used to constantly worry and feel anxious about the things not in her control, so much to the point that it would completely consume her thoughts. 

“When we made the shift from being at school to staying at home, it was scary having to listen to my own thoughts 24/7, especially since I used to spend so much time with other people,” Abaya said. “I would seek so much validation from external sources, that I never listened to my own thoughts or feelings.” 

Abaya explained that she learned that she can either entertain negative thoughts or actively make the decision to let them go.

Although spending time alone spurred some negative thoughts, she also used the alone time to look introspectively and realize her worth — she began to fall in love with herself again. 

“I began to focus on my own self-growth, my passions, and actually take the time to care for myself,” Abaya said. “I would always put others before me because I love to make people laugh and smile, but at the end of the day, I didn’t even think about loving myself.” 

While Abaya is grateful for the growth and goodness that came out of the past year, she also recognizes that the year has been hard on those who have lost parts of their lives to the pandemic, whether it be jobs, education, and especially loved ones. 

“I really feel like this was one huge wake-up call,” Abaya said. “Everybody in the world is going through the same battle, just in different degrees, and this has allowed me to check my privilege and be thankful for what I have. The pandemic has given me more of a reason to live.” 

Being forced to be independent

“I’m typically the type of person who craves social interaction and quite honestly, I used to despise doing things by myself,” USD junior Kiara Dias said. 

Dias was the kind of person who needed to be on FaceTime in between her small commutes to and from classes on campus, the kind of person that she described as merely a member of an organization or a sidekick friend. But quarantine and isolation changed all of that and more. 

“The pandemic forced me towards independence and maturity and I am genuinely grateful for that,” Dias said. “Eating alone, watching the sunrise alone, pumping my own gas, and driving without a passenger guide were all things I learned to do this quarantine, and though they may sound small, these actions are huge for me.” 

She slowly began to romanticize her own life. 

Last year, Dias grew comfortable with identities that attached her with another person or a group of people, but in the end, she grew into the person she was always meant to be: someone who is intentional about rebuilding herself based on her own thoughts and conceptions, rather than how others perceive her. 

“The pandemic pushed me out of my comfort zone and guided me towards the purposeful learning of self and towards a journey of self-acceptance and gratitude,” Dias said. 

Dias feels eternally grateful that this past year helped her to find herself and refind her purpose.