Their story, in their words….
When we started off on this project, truthfully, we didn’t even know where to begin. Over the year, however, we managed to transform our initial ideas, thoughts and feelings about the pandemic into an introduction and set list of chapters.
We started off by compiling a list of what we wanted to talk about, such as the beginning of quarantine and how we felt about schools closing down. We wanted the book to be relatable to others, but also needed it to be an outlet to express ourselves. That’s why we decided to include other topics, such as our opinions on social activism and the transition from secondary school to college, and how much that had changed us as people. Ultimately, it was really helpful to talk about both the past and the present, as we could reflect on our thoughts and determine why we had certain opinions.
Certainly, one of the hardest parts of the project was communication. Meeting up in person was quite hard, mainly due to Covid restrictions and another lockdown, but also because of life changes and new schedules that we had to become familiar with. In came Zoom and Facetime calls to save the day: we were able to collaborate virtually and make the project work. But there were good times too. The best thing about the project is that we were all pushed out of our comfort zones and had to take on various roles within the group. I (Zainab) took on the responsibility of organising everything and trying to ensure that everything was completed on time. The rest of the group learned how to meet deadlines, as well as how to work together in a team and value themselves more for the quality of work they produced. I think it’s safe to saythat we all learned a lot from the experience.
We all picked up new skills from the project, such as teamwork and communication, as well as the drive and ambition to work hard and see physical results. Everyone’s expectations were exceeded by the product: after months of adhering to deadlines, typing up chapters and editing on a laptop, the physical copy of our book was the best reward we could have asked for. We are all extremely grateful to the Mark Evison Foundation for allowing us to push ourselves, learn new skills and have something valuable on our university applications for the future.
