In March 2020, one of the biggest global pandemics in human history occurred and caused significant shockwaves. COVID-19 infected thousands of people, and public health officials advised us all to quarantine at home for our health and safety. Aside from essential workers, such as healthcare and grocery store employees, many Americans were not able to work or even attend school in person. This pushed many of us to introspect, and think about how we really wanted to pursue our careers.
The Great Resignation is a phenomenon where young adults across the U.S. have quit their jobs to either go back to school or start another job in the hopes of pursuing a new career path. During the pandemic, there has been an influx of graduate students (including to Northeastern University) working to build their careers no matter what. Although each student’s journey at Northeastern is different, they each share a quality of resilience and a willingness to overcome the odds. We spoke to a few Huskies to find out how their morale strengthened and what pushed them to thrive in unusual times.
Kharlita Chambers-Walker, Grad Student in the Public Policy and Urban Affairs program:
Kharlita always knew what she wanted to do, and despite the dark moments surrounding the pandemic, she never lost sight of her goals. “The pandemic didn’t affect me in any way but rather empowered me. As a city hall employee, how can I give back to myself and the experience of helping others during the pandemic? Learning public policy in the classroom can help me to apply more of myself in my career path”, she said. Kharlita’s hard work as a public servant at city hall, not only encouraged her to be stronger for the less fortunate during the pandemic but to also to apply to grad school to prepare herself for her future aspirations.
Raenelle Teesdale, pre-med student:
Another contributing factor to the resilience of Northeastern students is the supportive environment created by the university’s staff. “I feel like my advisor, Annabelle, and my professors have been very supportive and helpful on my journey as a grad student”, states Raenelle. As a pre-med student, she has had to overcome the odds of juggling her family responsibilities, contracting COVID-19, and transitioning out of her project management job at a construction firm during the pandemic. However, she has always been interested in the healthcare field and will continue to pursue it with the help of Northeastern at her side.
Andrea Taylor, Grad student in the Corporate and Organizational Communication program:
Despite having experience as a Social Media Manager for an NBA referee, Andrea chose to attend Northeastern in spite of the pandemic to strengthen his foundation in social media and elevate his knowledge of the communications field. “Actually when the pandemic started, I was studying abroad for undergrad and getting the email to return home was a huge shock”, Andrea recalls. “Yet, the pandemic has taught me to do what I love and take the time to take care of myself, so I have the energy to face each task head on”.
Overall, the COVID-19 pandemic has produced job loss, death, and panic across the globe. However, Northeastern students have been able to push past these obstacles and forge their paths. They are determined to graduate as Huskies and finish strong with the help of the faculty, their friends, and their families. These students continue to demonstrate that resilience and endurance are key to rise above the odds.