Due to the pandemic caused by Covid-19 some international students were not able to return home during the summer of 2020-2021. Danielle Jeffcoat and James Hobson are two of the international students at Allen Community College who were required to stay on campus due to the health regulations and restrictions.

Covid-19 has affected everyone’s life, though it has affected some more than others. In the case of both Danielle and James, they have not been able to go home for over a year. The have been unable to feel the simple joy of physically touching and interacting with their families and friends, with the only way of communication being through a little camera on a phone.

“I tried to speak to my family sometimes, it was really hard on my birthday because my family was so far away. But everyone knew that I would be away for this long. Even though some days were difficult, we all got through it,” said Danielle, as she was talking about her birthday experience.

The restriction to stay on campus during the summer was, in reality, a really hard situation where there wasn’t many options on things to do. Danielle, on the other hand, attempted to stay positive. She volunteered at three different jobs and would help with everything she could. Not only did she do that, but she knew that mental and physical health was the key thing for her as well. During the day she would run and do fitness sessions at the gym. Taking advantage of the situation, Danielle additionally took two online summer classes that would make everything easier for next year.

James had a very positive attitude as well towards the many adversities. He would wake up every morning, go to the soccer field and practice his many drills and exercises. Lifting and going to the gym was also a big deal for James. Since soccer season kept getting closer, James was getting ready for it.

“At the end of the day it was hard, but I kept my head up. I will be going back home this December and I couldn’t be more excited to see my family once again. It feels unreal…I still can’t believe that after 2 years of being away from home, I’ll be going back in a few weeks!” said James joyfully when recounting his experience.

Family reunions, birthday parties, going out with friends, and many more things are in the future for both Danielle and James, as they plan to spend the summer of 2022 next to their families and enjoy every minute of it. It will be a unique and special moment for everyone.