Peace Out 2021

One year ago, I sat down and wrote the 2020 Reflection in a state of farewell. A farewell to all the internal miseries that we faced,the political drama all over the news, the deplorable conditions the pandemic set on us, seeking an overall riddance to the nightmare that 2020 was. One year later, while I stare up at my television flashing breaking news of the mad spur of whatever new variant is now ravaging the world, I sigh. But we must maintain positivity, to want to strive and acknowledge the good in life, and move forward. So while 2021 may not have been what we envisioned during our New Year's Resolutions, it was at least a transitory period to a sense of “normalcy.” It's hard to transition though to normality when in the first week of the year the United States Capitol Building is invaded by white supremacists for the first time in the 245 year extensive history of the country. Nevertheless we persevered, no matter what nonsense was going around us, and attempted our best to just live and be ourselves. Whether it was the re-opening of masjids to being able to watch sports again or just deflecting from unhealthy practices, we were able to attain small victories in our lives. So we hold these small victories firmly in our palms, and carry them in remembrance to boost ourselves into 2022 in order to achieve the best versions of ourselves.

While 2021 was a year of challenges, Pleasant View School was once again able to have another successful year, even with the abundance of hindrances the pandemic brought for education. For the remaining 2020-2021 year, PVS continued the virtual learning program. Students in high school adapted to the virtual environment, organizing programs like Career Day and Advocacy Day, helping their peers attain volunteer and leadership experience. Pleasant View ended the 2020-2021 year with one of its most successful graduating classes in its history. Graduating seniors were accepted to every in-state school they applied to including Rhodes College, University of Memphis, and CBU, among others, In addition to these acceptances, many students attained the highest level of scholarships offered by these institutions. Seniors also reached new levels, getting accepted to the top universities in the country like New York University, University of Southern California, Washington University, and Emory. The level of excellence that the 2020-2021 graduating class was able to achieve is a remarkable cornerstone for PVS . The school had their first graduating class 6 years ago, and is already excelling on all levels of the college counseling program.

Alhamdulillah, in August, PVS was able to revert to in person school for the first time since March of 2020. The school principal, Dr. Malley, along with school administration,executed an incredible amount of work into being able to create a safe environment for students to transition from virtual to in-person learning. The school enforced all the safety guidelines and advice recommended by professionals to ensure the safety of the students coming in person. The school instituted covid testing and provided a virtual option for any student who felt they were at risk of getting infected. While we cannot predict if the pandemic will still be ongoing at the end of 2022, we applaud the school for their extensive work to provide a structured learning environment for the students. Inshallah the school will continue to produce results and continue elevating the school to new levels into the new year of 2022.