SHA-Cordecho-Winter-21-22

S P I R I T . M I N D . B O D Y . C O R D E C H O 7 during COVID was ensuring the continuity of learning for her international students. As disruptive as the pandemic has been for American students, those students who were studying here from different countries experienced further challenges. From getting home in the midst of the pandemic and then finding ways to finish out the semester remotely from very different time zones, often with less reliable internet service, international students faced unique barriers. Fries was committed to creating continuity in the face of unpredictability. She recalls the dedication of her Asian students, who would often be up in the middle of the night listening to lectures online. For one student, this was an impossibility. Fries worked with the student to find a time when they could meet on lecture days to support his learning. While going above and beyond for her student (teaching him at 5 p.m. EST and 5 a.m. in his time zone), she did what she could to support his learning. Fries also discovered that some of the shyer students - both domestic and international - excelled in distance learning as it removed some of the social barriers they found challenging. For all these reasons, when her university asked for volunteers to continue to teach online this semester, Fries volunteered. While she would be the first to say that distance learning isn’t for everyone, for some, it has broken down barriers and has become a viable option for their education to continue as this pandemic drags on. Jessica Seabury ’89, assistant director of the Honors College at the University at Buffalo, also stepped back and looked for the positive lessons and upgrades as a result of COVID-19. Without in-person events, she found it far more difficult to build the bonds that are one of the signatures of the Honors College; however, she did find other ways to enhance the students’ experience. A number of the events were converted to online events, which allowed for greater participation by alumni. Students appreciated the added dimension of alumni’s perspectives. Additionally, Seabury reflected that advisory actually worked better online. Being able to share her computer screen with the student via Zoom and eliminate the student’s need to cross the campus to meet with her in person was a positive change. Both these upgrades will remain long after the pandemic. Each May, high school students across the US celebrate “College Decision Day.” Traditionally, SHA students wear apparel from their future schools and gather for a group picture on the front steps. While that did not fit with our safety protocols last year, their decisions were commemorated with signs depicting each senior and her chosen school. Yard to College Quads