Michael Zhou ’22
Beijing, China

Michael Zhou ‘22 lives in Beijing but has not been able to return since China cut down on flights entering the country to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Michael and his sister, both being American born, have been staying at their friends’ houses. Michael is staying in Tolland, Connecticut\; his sister is in North Carolina\; their parents are still in Beijing.
“I don’t think that we will be able to go back until at least the summer. My parents trust that I can handle myself,” Michael said.

Bill Ngo ’22
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam

Bill Ngo ’22 had originally planned on staying with a host family through March break. Once his family realized he needed to return to Vietnam, they booked him a flight for the next day. After landing, he had to stay on a military base, turned quarantine center, for 16 days with other people who had entered the country.
“There was no phone or wi-fi signal, so online learning for the two and a half weeks was pretty much impossible,” Bill said.
During that time, his temperature was taken every day and he was tested for the coronavirus twice. Apparently, at the center, a blackjack circuit formed to gamble masks, and hand sanitizer. Eventually, he did get home but was surprised at how much things had changed.
“None of the places I used to eat at are open. Within the home, people are going through ideological changes, parents are like ‘oh we don’t care about your grades anymore…now we only care about being together as a family and being healthy together,’” Bill said.

Maral Asik ’20
Longmeadow, Massachusetts

As a day student, Maral used to commute to and from the Loomis campus every day.
“I have an extra hour in my day because I’m not driving back and forth from school,” Maral said.
“My brother and I stay at home for most of the time. My dad still goes to work because he’s a doctor so he still has the same schedule. My mom used to do more work around the house… but now all of that is on the backburner and she spends a lot of her time sewing masks,” Maral said.

Eliza Nelson ’22
Providence, Rhode Island

Eliza Nelson is staying at home with her family and dog Gus. “Normally, my parents would be traveling for work, but they can’t do that anymore,” Eliza said.
In Rhode Island, the government has put strict protocols in place\; travel from neighboring states New York and Connecticut is being restricted. “Things definitely feel different. No one is outside. And the college campuses are all empty,” Eliza said.