What's Up, Girl Up?

ARIA 19 - From Lancaster, Pennsylvania

What’s it like in your city?

Schools are closed, all non-essential businesses are closed, but the weather has been nice these days so at least we can spend time outdoors!

How’s it going? How are you feeling?

It’s been a weird week for me. Although online classes give me something to do (thank god!), it’s still not the same amount of work I would get when I was in school. It’s also so easy to slack off and feel guilty for being unproductive. I’m usually very involved in my community and it’s just hard for me to not have a full to-do list. It’s hard to feel my self-worth in this special time.

Also, the school musical I’m involved in and the play I directed are postponed indefinitely. This is not just my senior musical but the first time I directed a show. The cast and I have put in hundreds of hours for these two shows and I’m beyond disappointed that we possibly won’t be able to perform in front of an audience. However, I am aware of how important it is to stay in and am thankful for being healthy and safe in this chaotic time.

I know that many people out there are facing bigger problems than mine and risking their lives for the lives of others. The only thing I can do is to stay positive and help out my community as best as I can! In fact, this unusual experience is teaching me precious lessons. I had been running around too much and forgot how to spend time with myself. I am now learning how to manage my time effectively and taking care of my body and mind.

What are you doing in isolation?

I’m reading books and watching movies that I’ve had on my list since forever but never got time to read/watch. I’m journaling a lot. It’s something I’ve been doing for years now and I always have the urge to write down my thoughts whenever I spend time with myself. And I’m able to call/Facetime my grandma in China almost every day! This is perhaps the best thing for me about the quarantine. I have a very strong relationship with my grandma. My mom is a working single mother so my grandma helped to raise me when I was little. But ever since I moved to the United States, the time difference and my busy schedule have kept me from calling and connecting with her often. Last year, she was diagnosed with brain atrophy, which means that she is slowly losing her memories and will eventually forget who I am. I feel less guilty now that I get to spend more time with her virtually.

How have you been helping your family or community during this time?

I’m the head producer of my school’s broadcasting team. Usually every school day, we put on a “Morning Show” to keep our school community informed and entertained. During this time, our team has been working from home to produce a coronavirus special news show every week to keep our community informed of the situation. Not only do we cover hard news and status updates, but we also include heart-warming human-interest stories that remind our viewers of the kindness and positivity in this difficult time. Surprisingly, our videos have got even higher views than our usual in-school new shows!

How have you been able to continue your work with Girl Up and stay connected to Girl Up Club members?

In the Teen Advisor group chat, we are able to offer each other encouragement and comfort during this stressful time, especially when some of us are hearing back from colleges. I’m also having meetings with my club officers to plan activities for next year. We are still posting #influentialwomenwednesday on our Club Instagram page every Wednesday. Moreover, I finally got time to work on Asians Lead, a project I co-founded with my fellow Teen Advisor Riya. We’ve been FaceTiming a lot and reaching out to resources that could help advocate for us. We are also working on expanding our leadership team at the moment.