LaShae

LaShae is a frontline grocery-store worker who lives in Crofton, Maryland. She is twenty-eight years old. “I get a lot of “thank you’s” for what we’re doing. We are at an equal risk to nurses with coming into [contact] with more than 100 people a day. I think it is good to be viewed as…

Dezmond

Dezmond Ouzts is a frontline worker who lives in Waldorf, MD. He is twenty-six years old. “I believe the company will view me and fellow co-workers, as they always should have, with more respect, dignity, appreciation, and concern going forward. Death and loss has a defining impression on human beings. It is humbling to understand…

Mel

Mel is the founder of Posh Cycling and Fitness, a fitness studio located in College Park, Maryland. She has been a fitness instructor for over a decade, and has dreamed of starting her own chain of fitness studios for years. In 2018, she finally opened her first studio, which has since held hundreds of fitness…

Keelyn

Keelyn is a grocery store employee. “There are two types of people you might encounter. There are always angry people who are upset. Then you have the other people, we have had customers bring in Chick-fil-A platters, sweets from piece-of-cake. People will bring in notes to thank us.” Interview highlight: “There are two types of…

Matt

Matt is a college student and works at the local grocery store, Weis, in the Central Pennsylvania area. “There was a guy that would come in with a full hazmat suit and everything…Technically, we have a sign outside that says you have to wear a mask to shop here, but our manager came up and…

Megan

Megan is a news reporter. “The one interesting thing that is happening now is that there is…with 9/11 and the snipers—is that the media is informing people with the information they need, and they are grateful for that. There is a segment of society now that thinks the media has made this up, and that…

Regina

Regina is a UMD alumna, full-time school counselor, and founder of local hair salon Hair + Space Blowdry and Beauty Bar. As someone who grew up in Prince George’s county, she was thrilled to open her first salon in College Park last October. Since COVID-19 forced Regina to close her “nonessential” business in March, she…

Kennesha

Kennesha is a frontline worker who lives in Thorndale, PA. She is thirty-two years old. “I’m not sure that I am considered a hero, but the work that I do is very important to our international presence in the world and so we are an important cog in the system. I am very much appreciative…

Melissa

Melissa is an elementary school teacher in Rockville, Maryland. She has been teaching for over ten years. “It’s a matter of equity too. Some children have a lot of support and they’re going to get through this without a lot of issues and then children who are struggling- struggling learners- you know that’s going to…

Jennifer

Jennifer is a frontline RN nurse who lives in Laurel, MD. She is twenty-nine years old. “My personal thoughts on the current administration’s handling of the pandemic vacillate between anger to despondency. I personally have grown weary of the lack of leadership, lack of trust of the medical professionals trained to address crises of this…