My first year in the Sacred Heart University physical therapy program was unfortunately brought to a halt and transitioned online earlier this year due to the current COVID-19 pandemic.

The past two months have been inundated with news and information about COVID-19. News has been populating social media — negative stories about death and supply shortages and positive stories about donations and the community coming together. For my classmates and me, COVID-19 and its many implications have been a popular discussion in class.

Sadly, this pandemic has affected my family and me in more ways than school moving to online courses. My grandmother Gloria passed away due to COVID-19 in mid-April.