The coronavirus pandemic has affected millions of people across the globe, including college students. Schools and colleges have shifted classes online for the rest of the semester, graduation and other school activities have been cancelled and students’ academic plans have been affected. Many Tallahassee Community College students returned home, some students stayed in town, but all of them are doing their best to fulfill their academic requirements to finish out the semester despite the societal upheaval.
By Saviel Garcia | Student Submission
People all across the country are struggling during this crisis including me. My plan is to transfer to Florida State University to study marketing, but this crisis may prevent me from moving back to Tallahassee.
A week before Spring Break, I was offered a job at The Melting Pot in Tallahassee. I was told I would begin my training after Spring Break, allowing me time to visit my family in Tampa. Once the coronavirus became a big deal in Florida and classes were moved online, businesses also shut down. So now I am stuck jobless living in Tampa with my mom, stepdad, and little brothers, and The Melting Pot won’t respond to my emails inquiring about the training or whether I still have a job.
I was forced to move back to my hometown of Tampa because cities all over Florida issued a stay at home order that my mom is taking very seriously.
Aside from not being able to earn money while at home in Tampa, determining whether I should sign a new lease for an apartment in Tallahassee has become difficult because it is unclear when schools and businesses will reopen.
I don’t want to pay for an apartment that I may not be living in.
It is already hard enough paying for an apartment that I am not living in now because I was forced to move home.
Despite all of this, I am doing my part to stop the spread of the virus. I was still able to see some of my hometown friends at the beginning of Spring Break before we were told to stay home.
It has been difficult staying inside for weeks now, but my little brothers who are ages 8 and 9 are my biggest concern. The last thing I want to do is get them sick, so I have not been going out. One of my brothers has really bad asthma, and I worry about what would happen to him if he got sick, or how I would feel if I was the one who got him sick.
So I will stay inside until all of this blows over.
Saviel Garcia is a first year student at Tallahassee Community College.
How has this global pandemic affected your life as a TCC student / faculty member / staff member? We want to hear from you. Please send us your story: https://forms.gle/ea4z2LjBQho8FadW7
