The crisis taught me the importance of seeking assistance when needed. I found myself struggling with the budget for my life-sized decahedron project and decided to reach out to Duck Brand for support. By contacting them directly, I was able to bypass the need to raise additional funds for materials. This experience has shown me the value of asking for help, and I hope to continue doing so in the future.

During the Covid 19 Crisis, I discovered that my studio could be anywhere I found myself as long as it had dedicated space. While at Samford's campus, I had a unique role as a residential life assistant and a junior studio art major, giving me access to the Art Lofts even when professors were absent. Initially, I had 24-hour access until it was revoked, prompting me to relocate my research. Despite being escorted out by a campus policeman, I managed to move my art studio later to the Alpha Omicron Pi Chapter room, where my creativity was further fueled by the challenge of being displaced from my original space.

I think we sometimes forget how the aftermath of the Covid 19 Crisis changed the school environment for 2020 and 2021. In my role as a campus residential life assistant, I was given the opportunity to get vaccinated early compared to other students. I remember feeling uneasy when one of my professors mentioned a theory about the vaccine affecting fertility in a class that wasn’t at all related to my biology. When it came time for graduation students had to make the decision to wear masks or to not wear masks.

After leaving Samford’s Campus, I returned to my parents' home in Fishers, Indiana for the summer before relocating to Clemson, South Carolina. Upon my arrival in Clemson, I began my role as a student teacher in a classroom filled with masked students. A humorous sentiment we shared in the sculpture studio was that the mask requirement was beneficial, as it provided protection against sawdust. However, once the mask mandate was lifted in the spring semester, I found it challenging to recognize my students without their masks. The Covid-19 Crisis underscored the importance of human connection and highlighted the significance of both my health and that of my neighbors. It became clear that I needed to prioritize self-care to effectively support others. Interestingly, during both the Fall semesters of 2020 and 2021, I suffered from poison oak or ivy on my face, which led to my students to wear masks like they were supposed to but instead out of sympathy for my unfortunate condition. The Covid-19 Crisis taught me the importance of acknowledging and validating my own emotions as well as those of others.