Despite these uncertain times, Peddie is working extremely hard to recreate the community that defines it. Through a hybrid schedule, many students are able to come back on campus. Even students who cannot or choose not to come on campus are able to connect with the community through virtual learning. One such remote learner is Emily Yang ’21.

Yang is a senior day student from Plainsboro, New Jersey. She is a prefect, tour guide, student ambassador and leader of the debate team at Peddie. Like many seniors, Yang has mixed feelings about the unusual start to her final year at Peddie.

Before the Coronavirus became a full blown global pandemic, Yang had plans to visit China and see her grandparents. She was also in the process of applying to summer camps for her Math Summer Signature program. Yet as the summer approached and the severe reality of the virus hit, Yang found out that her camps had been cancelled and her China trip would not be possible. As a result, she spent the summer at home and took part in a virtual summer program. 

As the fall term approached, Yang made the decision to study remotely. She and her family felt that, as the pandemic was still going on, “it would not be safe to return,” said Yang. 

Yang believes there has been a lot of adjusting necessary to adapt to learning fully online. It has been different interacting with her peers through Zoom and breakout rooms. She feels it is harder in class especially during “discussion based questions, where you end up repeating what other people say and you can’t hear what’s happening,” explained Yang. On the other hand, Yang does enjoy being able to wake up right before class. She is also grateful for the extended time she now gets to spend with her family and that she is able to play basketball with her brother in her free time. 

One thing Yang wishes she could change about being a remote learner is the workload. Yang noted that the increased amount of work and college applications to complete are made more difficult by the challenge of staying focused and productive while working at home. Somedays, said Yang, she “can’t make [herself] work.”  

The one thing Yang misses the most, though, is human interaction. Out of everything the pandemic has changed, Yang feels that her inability to hang out with her friends has been the toughest. “The first thing I’m going to do when I get back on campus is give a hug,” Yang said with a smile.