In a heartwarming exercise aimed at fostering self-belief during challenging times, students from a local school have opened letters they wrote to their future selves. The March 12, 2021, letters were composed on the second day of returning to in-person schooling. This return came on the heels of a year-plus lockdown due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Led by teaching artist Damaris Bateson, the students were led in a journey of expressing their fears, hopes, and aspirations. This exchange occurred during an unusual period of overall uncertainty.
Vanessa, one of the STEM students, expressed her aspirations of becoming an architect and attending Columbia University in New York City. Her letter was a powerful testament that we can survive and thrive with resilience and determination. She wrote, “Never stop trying because I didn’t get my own way,” reflecting on the challenges she faced during the pandemic. Today, she is as committed as ever to going to architecture school at Columbia.
Charlie’s letter exposed us all to his fears over the pandemic and how it has affected his education. Now 16, T’s worries extended beyond his fear of catching Covid-19 and testing positive. He noted, “I am scared I’ll test positive out of nowhere.” Charlie’s not going to let his fears stop him. As a result, he mapped out a very rigorous academic course for himself by choosing History, English Literature, French and Latin for A-levels.
Fisayomi went on to write about what he’d learned through his experiences in that letter. He reflected that the hardest part was not being able to see his friends and family during quarantine. He told the pack that it has made him proud of his year group for sticking with it and adjusting to secondary school life during a pandemic. Fisayomi wishes to be a lawyer, an aspiration that embodies his desire to fight through adversity and find success.
Eve’s letter initially focused on her feelings of not knowing what her future would be after her GCSEs. Despite not having a clear plan, she declared, “I am 100% adamant I will be successful in whatever I do.” She emphasized the importance of expressing love to family members, writing to “tell your grandma and grandad you love them every day.” Her encouragement to “remember you are loved and continue doing great” resonates with the supportive community fostered between students during these trying times.
She started this letter-writing project to increase her students’ self-esteem and intrinsic motivation. She wanted to teach self-confidence at a very difficult time of withdrawal and unknownness. She felt like helping them process their thoughts and feelings would better equip them to move forward on their new journeys personal and academic after the pandemic.
These letters revealed a poignant picture of young lives impacted by all the pandemic imposed on us. From every student, I heard an individual story that rang with heavy doses of hope, ambition and resiliency. Vanessa’s advice echoed throughout her letter: “Don’t let nobody distract you from your studies, but don’t forget to have fun.” This feeling perfectly summarizes the tightrope students are walking between hard work and play that they are just now starting to learn how to balance in their studies.
As these students prepare to transition into further education and beyond, their letters serve as powerful reminders of their growth during an unprecedented time. Apart from just surviving, they have created futures dreams that will carry them on as they continue their journey beyond this experience.
