Jayden Keys, a recent graduate of Riverview Gardens High School and valedictorian of the Class of 2020, was one of many to suffer from the pandemic. For Keys, his largest obstacle was isolation, which took a toll on his mental health.
“I hate being stagnant. I hate being in one place too long,” said Keys. “I got into a place where I felt like I was alone. I was in the house with my family all day but I can’t express myself around them just like how I can express myself around my friends.”
Learning from home also proved to be a challenge because Keys is a visual learner. He, online with other students, could not find the right learning environment. He stated that he was unable to focus.
Keys decided to take steps to battle these obstacles. Because he still worked regularly during the pandemic, he was able to speak with his co-workers who advised him to set up a daily schedule. Keys followed a pattern each day. “It was just to keep some sort of structure in my life,” he said.
Keys also adapted to the pandemic by reaching out to his friends through technology and later reached out to outside resources to better his mental health.
At the same time, Keys stated that the pandemic was an eye opener about the nature of people. “Inherently, it just showed me that a lot of people are more selfish than they seem to realize,” he said. “You see how many cases arose from here, and despite multiple warnings and multiple statements from public officials and health officials, people just refused to listen to them.”
Keys also commented that the Riverview Gardens High School administration helped him and his fellow students adjust by following consistent lesson plans, distributing Chromebooks and laptops for AP and pre-AP students, and sending iPads for homework assignments. Because not all students had access to laptops and Wi-Fi, teachers and administration connected with students and families through social media.
“They really did their best to accommodate to what was going on. Every step of the way, they sent out some information to keep the students and the families informed about what was going on,” said Keys.
In school, Keys was involved in multiple academic programs. He was the co-president of the National Honors Society, the vice president of Student Council, and the cadet commandant of the Naval Junior ROTC. Keys was also active in the color guard.
However, most of his time was dedicated to the ROTC program, which revolved heavily around community service. Keys stated that wherever he could volunteer and help people, he would be there.
To combine his love for English and government, Keys plans to become a military liaison after college, which is essentially a diplomat. He will be attending Morehouse College and following the Naval ROTC Program there.
“Something that really intrigues me is politics and looking at how foreign and domestic politics affect the smallest things from entire countries to even the smallest communities to an individual,” said Keys.
As a departing senior, Keys shared a message for the rest of his classmates and the students at Riverview Gardens. “Everything happens for a reason,” he said. “Eventually, everything works out no matter what happens, and no matter how low you get the only place you can go from that place is up.”
