To the Good Old Days and the Future

As a senior graduating in with the Class of 2020, the global pandemic has given me the opportunity to reflect on the past four years – the time when simple moments were called happiness.

I am an international student from Taiwan. It has been almost a year since the last time I went back home. I would say the hardest challenge to deal with throughout my college journey is being apart from my family and carrying the hope I have for myself to pay them back someday.

When COVID-19 first started, I was really worried about my family since Taiwan has such as high population density and a limited amount of resources. I felt hopeless because there was nothing I could do to reach my family. Luckily, the Taiwanese officials have been able to effectively monitor the outbreak and provide sufficient care to the citizens.

As the pandemic spread to other parts of the world, I saw more and more students deciding to return to their home countries. The debate of whether I should go back home started to root in as time goes on. For the most part, I just wanted to be with my family and let them know that I am with them. However, the tradeoffs of going back home will be too large for me to afford. I might not be able to come back on time for my job due to the travel restriction and my Employment Authorization Card application might be delayed as well. Therefore, staying in the U.S. seemed to be my only option.

Knowing that my family is doing well in Taiwan and having my close friends here with me in the U.S. is an essential element that keeps me going during this rough time. Even though my last quarter at UCSB that was taken away by the global pandemic, the past four years has been an amazing journey filled with inspirational explorations and experiences. I believe that the spring quarter would have been an unforgettable closure of my college journey, but I also know that it has already been amazing since day 1 at UCSB.

The opportunity to study in the United States is the biggest investment that my parents have given me. I would like them to witness the moment of me crossing the stage with stoles representing my identity and the achievements I have accomplished. For now, my dream has to be held off. The Class of 2020 will not be crossing the stage in June. We will be bonding up as a community and conquering this battle with a legendary victory.

Picture: Class of 2020 with Henley Gate