‘Super shy’ Kennewick teen thrived during COVID pandemic to reach graduation day
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Remote learning had a big impact — both mentally and academically — on students.
But for Sarah Lindgren, that’s when she hit her stride.
After the COVID pandemic forced abrupt changes in schools, the then-sophomore at Southridge High School found she did better with fewer distractions at home.
Lindgren, a special education student who also took general education classes, had struggled in school before the pandemic.
As with most students, she procrastinated in getting assignments done but soon found the new deadlines gelled well with her learning needs.
“That was the best I’ve ever done,” she told the Tri-City Herald. “A lot of kids had trouble with that, but for me it was the opposite. I excelled pretty much at everything, including history.”
She found new ways to study and even made friends as the classroom moved back in person.
She’s worked hard to build up her academic independence and social confidence. And this weekend she’ll be among 344 others to graduate in Southridge High’s Class of 2022.
“I think Sarah finally figured out that she could learn the content despite her health issues she’s had and labels she’s been given for learning disabilities,” said Angela Escobar, a Southridge special education instructor and Lindgren’s former learning lab teacher.
“She came in as a freshman — very, very timid — but wanted to fully partake in high school and get that full experience,” she added.
Tough transition
When Lindgren entered her freshman year after attending Horse Heaven Hills Middle School, she was “super shy.”
“I would be the kid that would hide from everyone — especially at lunch. I wouldn’t even eat lunch because I was so scared, anxious, depressed,” said Lindgren.
Lindgren was diagnosed with anxiety disorder her senior year and had been previously diagnosed with ADHD. It’s something she’s struggled with for a long time.
As a result, her mind always races and there’s a constant sense of unease. It made making friends in high school difficult.
She avoiding eating lunch for almost all of her freshman year.
Escobar was one of the first teachers to discover this.
She reiterated to Lindgren how important a proper meal was and how that would play into her success in the classroom. With the help of her parents, she started eating more regularly.
Later her freshman year, she also made her first high school friend in history class and went on to make more friends that year. Her senior year, she ended up co-founding Southridge’s after-school Dungeons & Dragons Club.
Lindgren says she loves art, and has used drawing and coloring as a way to work through her anxiety.
Finding success
“She’s really learned to gauge her success off her effort as opposed to what grade she’s given. And then use that as a feedback tool to learn how to improve,” Escobar said.
Experimenting with her studying habits has resulted in successes, too.
Sometimes she’ll put herself on 20-minute deadlines with certain homework tasks. When studying, she’d call up a friend to talk through the concepts and questions.
“It’s always been difficult for me to learn and just sit down and study — it’s terrible for me,” Lindgren said. “I have to find something that’s interesting or challenging, or something that I’m curious about to not be bored about it.”
Narrowing down a highlight from the last four years is tricky, she said, but she’s enjoyed several of her teachers and classes: ceramics, material sciences, learning lab with Escobar and working as an assistant in the front office.
Lindgren plans to take the summer off and enter the workforce in the fall.
She’s not sure yet what career she wants to pursue, but hopes to find work that is both engaging and interesting.
This story was originally published June 10, 2022 at 1:52 PM.
