A New Perspective
March 10, 2020, was a day I had been looking forward to for a long time. It was the day that I would finally turn 16, and what better place to celebrate than Disney World? The day started off perfectly! I got to explore my favorite Disney park (Epcot, of course!) and spend time with my family. Then, at 11:53 a.m. I received a piece of devastating news which, unbeknownst to me, was the first of many. My soccer coach and close mentor, who had been fighting cancer for almost a year, would not be returning after spring break due to health concerns regarding CoViD-19.
“CoViD-19? You mean that flu-like virus that’s happening halfway across the world? That doesn’t make any sense!”
This was just one of the many thoughts flying through my head. The following days were a whirlwind and none of it seemed real. Our team was preparing for The Smoky Mountain Regional, but it was canceled. School was postponed for another week! Harding University announced it would be going online for the rest of the semester. Extracurricular events, social gatherings, and even church services were all canceled or postponed. Before my eyes, a virus that I had only heard about briefly on the news, became my reality.
I spent the next few months on too many Zoom calls to count and other than socially distanced walks with my neighbor, I practically never left my house. It was a common feeling among everyone to feel useless and helpless. However, at one of my Zoom meetings early on in quarantine an idea was brought up that changed my attitude towards everything. The Zoom meeting was one of our weekly Outreach team meetings for Team Breakaway. We all agreed that we had to do something to help younger kids stay engaged while being stuck at home. This was how our video series, Staying Sane with STEM, was born. Over the next few weeks, members on our team worked tirelessly to produce high-quality interactive videos for kids not only in our community, but also around the world.
Staying Sane with STEM was not only an educational experience for the kids watching our videos, but I also learned something too. No matter your circumstances, you can always make a difference in the lives of others. Being quarantined for months while everything is being taken away from you is certainly not an ideal situation, however it’s what you choose to do with your circumstances that truly define you.
Although we don’t know how our season will look, Breakaway is pushing forward and doing everything we can to make the most of what we have. Last week, we were able to welcome a group of eager new teammates to Breakaway. Our FIRST Lego League (FLL) team, The MindSweepers will start practice this week. Our Lego Club and Lego Club Jr. programs also started off this week. Breakaway is continuing to find ways to spread our reach while following all safety guidelines and listening to the local authorities. Even though our year won’t look as normal as we would like, we can’t wait to see what it has in store for Breakaway.
If you haven’t had a chance to check out the Staying Sane with STEM videos or want to watch them again, you can find them on the Breakaway 3937 YouTube channel or on any of our social media accounts!
Staying Sane With STEM episodes:
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