Many students' lives were affected by Covid-19 and the quarantine they had to endure. For Amina Parks, a sophomore at Paint Branch, her quarantine didn’t have much excitement in it but she tried to make the best of things. For Amina, staying at home was dreadful but the extra sleep usually stolen from school made up for it.
In stressful conditions, like quarantine, Amina advises people to remember to relax, take a nap, and eat some good food to rejuvenate their energy. Taking time off and doing things you enjoy is also a way to keep yourself from burning out, according to Amina. She notes that when she is in a non-ideal situation she will paint or draw to calm herself down, which allows her to express her creativity as well.
Amina is an only child but this doesn’t stop her house from being as loud and crowded as that of any other family. She alternates living with her mom, dad, and stepmom in one house and grandma in another. She gets to experience the best of DC and Maryland when living in both areas. Deciding between which of the two she prefers is hard, but DC has Amina’s heart since she feels it has more representation of her culture and people. “I would pick DC only because DC feels homey, a lot more black people, you know, people of color, but I grew up in Maryland,” explains Amina.
For Amina, DC will always be her home. Living in Maryland has made life pass too fast for Amina, which has left her feeling like it “flashed before my eyes.” The title of her life story would be “Times Passing,” since she can’t believe that she is in high school already. “I literally feel like I was just in middle school,” replied Amina,” Everything is going too fast.”
As for what celebrity she would have lunch with, her answer is Michelle Obama. Amina feels that Obama is an influential person for all Black girls and that she has had an important impact on society. Amina admires Obama’s composure towards disrespectful or disruptive comments aimed at her. In fact, Amina would love to one day achieve the confidence and calmness that Obama exhibits in her life. Civil Rights icon Rosa Parks would be her second choice since they share the same last name.
Michelle Obama and Rosa Parks are admired for inspiring people to do good things and have a positive impact on the world, which is just how Amina would like to be remembered. Having the most followers on social media or being in the limelight doesn’t mean anything to Amina since her values are focused on being able to change people's perspectives and lives. “Even if it’s a small change, it’s good to be a better person every day,'' says Amina.
The best gift Amina ever received is having a home and having things that other kids don’t have. Having people to come back to and support is a blessing, even if there are many problems in a family. “People have it worse than me,” says Amina, reflecting on the importance of staying positive.
By Andrea Gill
