My name is Addison Jennings. I am currently a senior at the University of Kentucky. I have lived in Lexington for my whole life, which definitely played a role in my college decision. In my first few years of college, I loved the convenience of being able to drive only 15 minutes to go home and see my family. During March of my junior year, I developed an even deeper gratitude for the convenience of going to college in my hometown; when I had to move out with only a one week notice due to COVID-19, my parents were able to help me move out safely and quickly. I was very grateful for this as I knew several people from out of town and out of state that did not have this luxury.
Moving home so suddenly was a big adjustment for me to make. I had spent most of my nights that semester at the library working on schoolwork and studying for the MCAT. However, when students were forced to move out, all campus buildings closed, including the library. My nights of isolation on the secluded fourth floor of Willy T quickly turned into months of isolation at home with my parents (and loud little brothers). I was beyond thankful to be at home with my family, but struggled to find the motivation and focus I needed to stay on top of my MCAT study schedule. The busyness of my household was a big distraction as my dad began to work from the basement and my high school brothers had minimal schoolwork and filled the upper floors of the house with noise from their video games.
As a student looking to become a physician, COVID-19 made me further realize how important doctors were. I admired the dedication that medical personnel put into the health and safety of their patients as they risked their lives every day to take care of them. I couldn't help but think how one day I hoped to be in their shoes, serving my community and protecting people who are vulnerable in their health.
Fortunately, my family was not severely impacted by COVID-19. My dad made a smooth transition to working at home and none of my family members became ill. For the first couple of months, the only time we left the house was to go to the grocery store or to walk around our neighborhood. Once government restrictions loosened, we were able to actively participate in our neighborhood swim team. I was thankful to be able to coach the team after worrying that it was going to be cancelled. My role as a coach looked different than it had in past summers as we had to take extra precautions to keep all of the swimmers and families safe. We took temperatures at the entry to the pool, limited practice attendance to ensure social distancing, and kept an attendance log in case contact tracing was needed. Towards the middle of the season, one of our swimmers tested positive. This was a big scare to the team and especially my family, as my brothers often swam in the same lane as the swimmer who was sick and were in close contact with him. Luckily, my entire family tested negative and no other families on the swim team were affected.
Returning to school has been something I anxiously awaited all summer. I had been looking forward to moving into my apartment with my close friends since last October when we signed our lease. However, with the threat of a pandemic, I was nervous for all the germs we would be bringing into the apartment since we all had different responsibilities and groups of other people we needed to be around. The protocols that the University has established has helped me to ease my mind. Daily wellness checks, campus-wide testing, and the emphasis on personal safety has contributed to a slightly increased peace of mind. I look forward to spending my senior year with my great roommates and completing schoolwork from the safety of bedroom.
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