The Class of COVID-19
The first project of its kind in New Jersey history, The Class of COVID-19 includes 48 stories of high school students throughout the state highlighting their pains, joys, losses and redemptive experiences during the Coronavirus pandemic.
The primary collection – 30 stories – is now available to purchase on Amazon in paperback ($10.95) and Kindle ($3.95) format. Additional stories are featured exclusively online.
About this Project
The primary purpose of the project, a partnership between Ramapo College and adjunct instructor Shawn Adler, was to collect narratives from high school students across NJ that document the many different ways the pandemic impacted them over the past two-plus years. From the initial outbreak in the region to the arrival of the vaccines, these stories chronicle he living history since early 2020 as conveyed through some of the state’s most vulnerable voices.
“By inviting students to publish their stories, Ramapo College has told an entire generation of students that they are listening, that through narrative we can all be the heroes of our own stories, even and especially when things seem most out of control,” said Adler. “These stories are the stories of New Jersey — its pain and, ultimately, its strength.”
All profits will donated to the Ramapo We Care Program.
We Care Program
The Ramapo We Care program is dedicated to providing resources for students who are experiencing food, financial, or other basic needs insecurities. Programs include the campus Food Pantry, Clothing Closet, and Student Relief Fund. For further information, email wecare@ramapo.edu or view the We Care Program website.
Stories
Matthew Priblo
Virtual school is not good for learning anything, but it is a lot more fun than being in-person. I mean my school district had literally no idea what they were...
Katie Chu
Two years ago, I was told that three of my best friends from middle school were going to leave, meaning I had to start my high school journey almost entirely...
Sasha Raskin
At the beginning of quarantine, I was “blessed” with the company of my two older sisters who were sent home from college. In their minds, coming home was a...
David Granik
The pandemic inspired many people to leave large, crowded cities and move into smaller towns like Leonia, where my family immigrated seven years ago. Such a...
Dylan de Leon
I remember looking at my phone and seeing a notification from Snapchat. V sent a snap. Confused, I opened the text. “We should become best friends,” it read....
Adam Abdel-Razek
I felt behind. I was a very timid person even before all of this. I was not able to handle social situations that well so I would overthink everything. I wasn’t...
Atlas Sailer
It was a couple of months into the pandemic, in the middle of the night, when a small part of my brain asked a very troubling question: “What if I’m not a...
Christie Sugiaman
My grandma flew regularly to Indonesia to visit and care for her mother, my beautiful and strong great-grandmother, Atai. Though Athai was ninety-six years old...
Evelyn Gu
Walks at night helped me clear my mind, and I found myself taking them frequently. Taking a breath of fresh air after being stuffed in my room all day helped me...
Hanna Park
People crowded the streets from sunrise until sunset every day; every block was alive with civilians who were walking their dogs or on their way to work. New...
Caroline Kim
It was the middle of 8th grade when my passion for art started growing. From little doodles on my school notebooks to full-on sketches and drawings, I started...
Anaya Jethani
I failed to find anyone outside on the walkway near my house. A path once filled with different families in my neighborhood was now empty, leaving me and my...
Ashley Llangari
My business is beauty, but it wasn’t always. Because of quarantine, my once fast-paced lifestyle completely slowed down, finally giving me time for myself. I...
Caren Chung
It wasn’t until December 2021 that my oldest brother could finally get married, almost two whole years after COVID started. Time and time again, the virus...
Mayerli Cubias Vasquez
I met a nice teacher, Ms. Shawala. She leads my vocal music class. The first day back for in-person learning, she told me that this year we were going to have...
Sharyna Hariniaina
I was only a freshman when everything happened. I was content going to school. I enjoyed life, and I was a very outgoing person. Then COVID hit. They told us we...
Sihwan Jin
The date is January 19, 2020. The popular kids were in class making jokes, passing notes, and fooling around as the teacher taught math. The studious, nerdy...
Sofia Queren-Sheridan
Before COVID, I had distractions to keep me from focusing on my worries and insecurities. But once quarantine started, I began focusing on my body and my...
Vivian Gamez
They said that we were going to be in virtual school. I’ve never heard the word “virtual.” I asked a teacher and she started to explain to me that we were going...
Ely Us Perez
Right before COVID, my family got bigger because my nieces moved in with me, my brothers, and my sister because their mom was murdered at the hands of her...