by Sue Ann Rybak

Senior year of high school should be a year filled with fond memories and anticipation of the future, but the coronavirus pandemic has forced schools across the country to close leaving hundreds of thousands of high school seniors wondering when and if they will return to school.

Maren Lamb, 18, a senior at Science Leadership Academy (SLA), said she was looking forward to having fun her senior year.

“It’s been a wild ride,” the Mt. Airy resident said. “My whole senior year is not going as planned. It isn’t just about COVID-19. For SLA, right off the bat, we were hit with the asbestos incident; we were out of school for a month. We have only been in a real school building for less than two months of this entire year.”

The School District of Philadelphia’s $37 million renovation project to divide and upgrade the building at 550 N. Broad St. that both SLA (a magnet school) and Ben Franklin High School share resulted in both schools being closed due to damaged asbestos installation. Students at both schools did not return to school until the middle of February.

Lamb, who is a member of Teenagers Inc., said initially, when schools first closed due to COVID-19 in the middle of March, she received assignments from her teachers, because all SLA students are given Chromebooks.

Shortly after, the School District of Philadelphia announced at a press conference that it would not allow teachers to conduct “remote instruction” because it could not “ensure equal access to technology” for all students.

Lamb said she was looking forward to her senior year because her junior year was “crazy.” In addition to a having a heavy course load, she was doing a lot of extra curricular activities.

“Honestly, I tried to keep it chill this year,” she said. “I was doing less than I was last year. I just wanted to have a fun senior year – especially my second semester. Now, none of that is really possible.

“All the events that are really special are gone. I am part of my school’s poetry club and we complete in a SLAM league. My teachers are saying prom is up in the air. Graduation is up in the air. It’s not what I expected. For me, I am not so much worried about prom, but not being able to say goodbye to everyone who has affected me in the last four years. Obviously, I am going to see my friends after this.”

In addition to spoiling her senior year, COVID-19 has also impacted her college search,

“I have a lot different schools to choose from,” said Lamb, who was recently accepted to Penn. “I just heard back from a few in the last two weeks, but now I can’t go on any tours. Things that might be a decision maker for me are pretty much stripped away.”

She said several colleges have reached out and made accommodations. For example, many colleges and universities, have moved back the decision date from May 1 to June 1.

“Still, it’s extremely stressful,” she said. “Obviously, that’s not the worst thing that can happen in a situation like this.”

Lamb, who has a younger sister. Esther, who is a junior at Springside Chestnut Hill Academy, and a younger brother, Robert "Willie" William, in seventh grade, said sometimes she feels worse for her siblings.

“A lot of stuff they would be doing this school year is going to affect their future,” she said.

For example, her sister can’t take the SATs, and her brother can’t take the PSSAs. She said it just adds to the pressure of getting good grades.

“What if you can’t get your grades up for that last semester,” she said. “I mean. Oh, well, so, I don’t go to prom.”

Despite not having any recent school assignments, Lamb is still keeping busy during the quarantine working on her senior project. Her senior project is to create an Etsy shop, “marenlambarts,” where she can sell her artwork. All the proceeds will then be donated to Mural Arts Philadelphia.

In addition to her senior project, she has been using the stay-at-home order to spend time with her family – including watching Disney and Marvel movies with her brother Willie, watching “Tiger King” on Netflix, making TikTok dances with her sister, and improving her baking skills.  She said she recently made cinnamon rolls from scratch.

“I am not a regular baker,” she said. “Baking is really relaxing. You can shut your brain off. I do a cookie exchange with my grandma. I am trying to improve my skills and move past cookies.”

She is still, however, concerned for the health of her family members.

“I have two grandmothers and a grandfather who are alive; So, you just can’t help but be worried,” she said.

Lamb said she’s taking the city’s stay-at-home order seriously.

“I think the infectability part of it makes sense,” she said. “I know I am not going to see my grandmother for the next two weeks, and I don’t have to worry about infecting other people.”

She doesn’t understand why other people her age are not taking the policy seriously.

“I don’t understand why they are not being more conscious,” she said. “This is bigger than just hanging out with your friends.”

“I am super grateful that the worse of my worries is missing these events. Whenever I get bored, I think this could be a whole lot worse Maren.”

This article was updated on March 31, 2020.