Hi Viewers,

Today I stopped and realized how devoted and compassionate my professors have been. They noticed that every student had different needs, different fears, and different hardships during these uncertain times. I have been incredibly lucky to be able to safely distance at home with very few obligations. However, I still find these to be scary times.

One of my professors in particular did everything she could to make sure that we were doing okay. Every single class we had began with an individual check in, she asked how each one of us were. To chat and laugh and engage us in her class. We maintained the zany atmosphere of our class even as we dispersed all over the world. She built a community amongst us.

This last week has been really frightening with finals piling up. It sounds almost stupid to be nervous about finals in the midst of a global pandemic, but that is exactly why they are so difficult. Because your mind is focused on 1200 other things and the idea of studying for a final seems overwhelming.

My economics professor alleviated almost all of that stress. She review zoomed with large groups of us for almost two hours both Saturday and Sunday. It would’ve been easy for her to have checked out for the weekend, but she didn’t. She held office hours again for us today to assuage more worries and answer more questions. Ultimately, I’ve learned so much from her this semester. International Trade is positively fascinating to me, and this class further confirmed how much I love it. But also, she went out of her way to make sure we all understood what she was teaching all the time. Checking in specifically with different people. To joke around with us, and to sprinkle in really really interesting stories into her lectures.

Honestly, my trade economics professor is the professor I hoped to have when I chose to go to Tufts.

Stop and take the time to appreciate the people that are making this situation better. The professors and teachers who are teaching in a way they didn’t sign up to, but are still doing everything in their power to make it easy. I feel very lucky to have (and to have had over the years) such powerful professors and educators in my life.

XOXO. S.