These past two years have been very difficult for everyone, not just for my family, my friends, my fellow classmates, but also for my teachers. No one realized that the world would shut down and we would all have to move to distance learning. We were faced with a lot of challenges, worries and uncertainties. And now, with returning back to in-person learning, we are faced with new changes and challenges. I am grateful that one thing has remained constant: the help of my teachers.

During distance learning, my AVID teacher, Ms. Elicia Placencia, made sure that we were always having fun in class over Zoom. She took the time to build a sense of community. Last year many students struggled and participation in class was a challenge. This was not the case in Mrs. Placencia’s classes. Students were constantly engaged and excited to attend her class. She helped me stay organized and made sure that all the students were getting all the help they needed with tutoring. She created an Instagram to help the students keep in contact with her. Every year, she plans and holds an amazing College Kick-Off Week, and she even did this during distance learning. She had the community come together and celebrate the students and their future over Zoom and by a drive-thru celebration. During distance learning, she brought in a guest speaker, Austin Barnes, a famous Dodger player. It was so exciting to hear from a real-life baseball player. She made learning fun, even over the computer.