Jo Orr - Wagner College

After taking the second half of my spring 2020 semester online, I decided to take the fall 2020 semester off because of the impact of the pandemic on my performance-based classes at Wagner College. While I missed my friends and performing, I know it was the right choice for me. Instead, I stayed on Martha's Vineyard working as a nanny, which has been so rewarding, especially since I want to go into music education. Working with different age groups over the course of 2020 has taught me so much about child development and the role of music shifting in their life. While it's not the semester I thought I would have, I've been able to have independence that most don't have by age 19. I was able to stay in my own apartment, work on my craft alone, and branch out with artistic opportunities online. I've taken online dance and circus classes to keep me connected to my community, and to be ready to hit the ground running when the pandemic is over. I started my own Redbubble store to sell my art, and I've created over 600 art pieces since quarantine started. I had so much time to myself I even started to write a musical, focused on gender studies, which I'll continue to write at college with the help of some of my composer friends. As for next semester, I've already registered for 11 classes and am excited to be busy again. I'm looking forward to going back to Wagner College and getting back onto the track that MVYouth has been so generous to lay out for me.