The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the SJCC community in different ways.<\/p>\n
According to some, the pandemic has completely changed their lives. As for others, the pandemic served them a positive experience.<\/p>\n
Elisse Reyna, a case manager who provides health services at SJCC, said that she feels the pandemic has completely changed all our lives.<\/p>\n
\u201cEverything I did before the pandemic has changed. For example, I work from home now and in a situation like this, you can feel isolated from the world,\u201d Reyna said.<\/p>\n
Reyna said that simple things are not enjoyable like before and that the pandemic created obstacles in her work field.<\/p>\n
\u201cTo combat the new found struggles of the pandemic, I’ve integrated flexibility by adapting to a new way of working. Another important thing for me was to create a functioning work space because now my house is everything,\u201d Reyna said.<\/p>\n
Reyna said that focusing on self-care is crucial, even if it\u2019s a simple gesture like waking up early or making coffee to incorporate better habits.<\/p>\n
According to the United Nations\u2019 website, \u201c…the COVID-19 pandemic has created the largest disruption of education systems in history, affecting nearly 1.6 billion learners in more than 190 countries and all continents.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vanessa Tran, a 19-year-old journalism major at SJCC, said that she felt the pandemic-related stress has affected her everyday life.<\/p>\n
\u201cAlthough I like school online, some things can be more vague such as assignments and announcements. Even though a professor is an email away, it would just be better if I got to speak to them in-person to allow them to teach me hands on,\u201d Tran said.<\/p>\n
The lack of tangible representation when it comes to her learning was a concern for her, she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI handle my stress by talking to my friends and telling them what\u2019s on my mind. I also like to journal my notes and thoughts whenever I feel like I\u2019m stressed,\u201d Tran said.<\/p>\n
While Tran\u2019s concern and stress were more of a result from the classroom, another student’s story differs a bit.<\/p>\n
Louis Vibanco, a 20-year-old student at SJCC who said he is passionate about sports, has dealt with his share of stress as a direct result of the pandemic.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe pandemic has taken sports away, and as an athlete it has been really tough to just sit at home instead of participating in athletics,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Sports play a big role in Vibanco\u2019s life and the feeling of not being able to play was devastating, he said.<\/p>\n
According to a survey conducted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association on May 1, 2020, \u201cMore than one-third of the 37,658 athletes involved described having sleep difficulties, more than one-quarter experienced feeling sadness or a sense of loss.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring the pandemic I have made an attempt to stay in shape by buying weights and just working out at home, also by playing video games,\u201d Vibanco said.<\/p>\n
Vibanco said he has found ways to keep himself productive and used his spare time to do other activities that he enjoys.<\/p>\n
Bryson Williams, a 19-year-old psychology major at SJCC, is on the other end of the spectrum.
\nWilliams has not been affected by the pandemic, he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cI haven’t felt pandemic-related stress at all. I would say the pandemic has actually helped,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Williams said he had a different outlook based on his experience.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t have stress to handle,\u201d he said. \u201cOddly enough for me I would say life has gotten better since the pandemic.\u201d<\/p>\n
For those feeling stressed in general, Reyna\u2019s help goes beyond academics. With the help she provides, she said she wants students to feel supported.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s easy to feel scattered right now and even singled out,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Students can reach Reyna through Google Voice, by texting or calling (408) 780-8497, or via email at elisse.reyna@sjcc.edu<\/span>. <\/span><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the SJCC community in different ways. According to some, the pandemic has completely changed their lives. As for others, the pandemic served them a positive experience. Elisse Reyna, a case manager who provides health services at SJCC, said that she feels the pandemic has completely changed all our lives. \u201cEverything…<\/p>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":15454,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[378],"tags":[],"staff_name":[1358],"class_list":["post-15451","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized","staff_name-xzander-smith"],"yoast_head":"\n