Sarah: It’s a beautiful, sunny afternoon following yesterday’s snow. Our strawberries are in full bloom. With Charlie fully vaccinated and me mustering through the side
Kerri: “Reflecting on living through a year of a global health pandemic is surreal, to say the least. When Kurt and Kremena took our first
Waarithah-Udin: “During the pandemic, we discovered a place called Food Chain that serves free nourishing meals to the community. This wonderful place has been great
Erik: “Black Lives Matter means something different to each individual person. To me BLM is more than a phrase but a lifestyle. I have lived
Cassie: “‘You are required by law to respond to the 2020 Census. The Census Bureau estimates that completing the interview will take 10 minutes on
Sarah Coen is Vice President for Strategic Initiatives and Enrollment Management at Transylvania University Sarah: “My family and I are excited to be back as
Rebecca Thomas is Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of Transylvania University Becky: “So what is it like to start a job as dean
Brien Lewis is President of Transylvania University Brien: “‘What is it like to move to a new place and start a new job as a
Rhyan: “My Mom (Toni) and I were in a car accident in November, which led us to take some time off from touring at the
Margie: “This would have been our 13th summer to teach and perform at the Brevard Music Center in North Carolina. It is an intense 7
“Why should we wear masks? Young people are spreading COVID-19 in their communities. Studies are clearly showing that: •Individuals infected with this virus are able
Allison: “How are we doing? We find this time to be filled with lots of stress because of all the unknowns. Coming out of a
“It is a deep mystery to live here in this imperfect place. On a summer night, with fireflies in the yard and bats overhead, the
Omar: “DACA. An acronym that you hear often but never really know what it means to someone like me. To someone like me who was
Roger and his wife Nanette arrived as refugees to Kentucky 9 years ago. They planted their lives here in Lexington. They have six children. Then
Lujza: “When Joy and I first met on the internet in 2003, she was living here in Lexington and I was in my hometown of
Michael: “Why they matter? They live, they breath, they think, they learn, they laugh, they cry, they are creative, they are talented, they are smart,
Linda: “The good thing about the pandemic is that it’s given me time to work in the garden.” Van: “And togetherness.” Linda: “LOTS of togetherness.
Kelli: “We are trying to navigate this pandemic on multiple front. So much of our energy is spent on quarantining at home, trying to envision
Adri Pulido is the owner of Polished Needle and co-founder of Festival Latino North, Lexington, KY. Narrative from original post: Valentin, Ellie, Liz, Adri, Izabel, and
Amane graduated from Lafayette High School and is in the National Honor Society. She leaves for Japan next week, where she’ll take an exam, hoping
The day we photographed Tomomi and Hinano was their last full day in Lexington, Kentucky. After living here for 4 years and after Hinano graduated
Becca and Ilias: “Our son George arrived with a full head of hair two weeks early and just a few days before Governor Beshear declared
Shannon Blackburn is the Principal of Ashland Elementary School. Shannon: “It’s the last day of school for the year. While this day comes every year,
Esmeralda: “I am a visual artist; in this pandemic time I have created much more art, I have cooked, baked almost daily, I have helped
Sarah Ryder teaches Art at Deep Springs Elementary. Sarah never thought she’d end up teaching at Deep Springs Elementary for 23 years! She loved teaching
Fayette County Public Schools Superintendent Manny Caulk asked if we could photograph him and his family in front of FCPS Main Office on East Main
Ashley and Trevor: “Our names are Trevor and Ashley and 3 years ago, we co-founded Black Soil: Our Better Nature. We are an agritourism company
Francisco Castillo teaches 8th grade Spanish Social Studies at Bryan Station Middle School—Maxwell Spanish Immersion Program. Francisco and Maria: “We know these times are difficult,
Walter: “We are Mexican-Peruvian-American. We are a family of mixed cultures, of different customs and holidays. For example, our kids celebrate the Mexican Day of
Patti works as a lunch lady at Arlington Elementary School. These days, the entire family is focusing on Jada’s graduation from BSHS. Because Jada’s softball
Stephanie: “All my years of foster parenting and trauma training have prepared me for this. The kids are doing well. And I have this to
Carolina Brock is the Family Resource Coordinator at Russell Cave Elementary School. Carolina: “We are Christian. Our hope is in God.” Ash: “This is a
According to Lauren, before the pandemic Uly used to be a peaceful, calm child. He turned into an independent toddler during the pandemic. He is
When we asked Gloria how she feels about the pandemic, she said: “One thing I love about it is my mom got me a huge
Jared: “A silver lining of this pandemic is being at home. We have the unique opportunity to watch Winslow grow day after day. Normally, I
Vicki: “This quarantine period has allowed me the time to really focus on the animal rescue work that I feel passionately about. With shelters throughout
Wendy Turner teaches English at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School. Wendy: “As a teacher with kids who go to the same school—I am seeing them,
Esti Stith teaches Science at Bryan Station High School. Esti: “A couple of weeks ago, Bodhi said, ‘One thing that’s nice about this virus is
Skylar: “I’m usually living in a dorm with 35 guys on the same floor. Being around women during this pandemic, especially ones I care about,
Debi: “We have felt change in this, and like I said somehow still busy but somehow doing less, and being a more content family in
These days, Travis is doing homeschooling, in addition to his regular job: helping people make chicken coops, and selling chickens and chicken feed. Travis expects
Dima: “One good thing about this pandemic is that we adopted a dog—that’s pretty awesome. It’s my mid-life crisis :).” Yoko: “One good thing about
Heath is a software architect, working for a company in New York. When we arrived to take their family photo, he was in a meeting,
Tom: “I miss seeing my wife interact with other people. She lights up my life, Sophia’s life, and other people’s lives. I miss seeing that.”
Eli: “This was Oscar’s last year at his preschool, where he’s been since age 2 and has the most amazing group of friends who are
Scott: “We moved in just before the US reaction to the virus really got serious. I was in England during that time and only just
Cicely: “Blended families are chaos … but also the best kind!”
Amani: “Today, May 9th at 3pm, would have been the day I walked across that stage at Rupp Arena with my name being called, receiving
Crystal Wilkinson, a USA Artist Fellow, is the award-winning author of The Birds of Opulence (winner of the 2016 Ernest J. Gaines Prize for Literary Excellence), Water
Aumaine: “This is a hard time for everyone. I struggle with depression and for the first month of quarantine all I could do was survive.
Robin: “This pandemic has been a blessing in disguise. It’s made me stay at home and be grounded. Usually, I am taking care of others.
Blake: “When asked…‘How are you doing through all of this?’ I never know what to say. They aren’t really asking this question on a deep
On the day we photographed Sophie, Rong, Sewei, and Emma, it was Emma’s 100th-day birthday. In China, people throw big parties when a baby turns
Jarah: “This has been the favorite ‘room’ in our home as we navigate this transition. Soccer and the swing have provided Pax & Isabel with
David: “I remodel kitchen and baths. I got laid off in the second week of the pandemic. I’ve greatly enjoyed the extra time with my
Joe: “It’s a terrible situation, so many people dying. The silver lining is less pollution, nuclear families staying closer (though that has its own stress).
Michelle: “I have been teaching at Cardinal Valley Elementary school for 20 years. I taught the parents of some of my current students. I started
Riah: “Quarantine has given us more opportunity to be together and that was terrifying in the beginning. Looking at an unknown amount of time to
Elections matter. With the outbreak of COVID-19 we see just how important it is to elect good leaders. Dr. Liz Sheehan is running to represent
Ana and David are expecting their second child in October. They found out it’s going to be a boy only a couple of days before
These days, Michael spends many many hours at Kre8Now Makerspace [hyperlink], a community workshop space whose members typically work on individual or collaborative projects (membership
Council member James Brown reflected that his family is taking this time to enjoy being together. He pointed at his t-shirt, which sported the following
Lisa and Tom moved to Lexington when Kieran was 2 weeks old. They watched him and his older brother Riley every week, Monday through Friday—until
Terri: “Yesterday, the girls made a stuffed animal zoo. It included bears, puppies, monsters, aliens, dinosaurs, monkeys, birds, a tiger, a hedgehog, and cows. They
Caryn Huber is the Behavior Coach at Paul Laurence Dunbar High School Caryn: “The week we started teaching online, I was extremely upset about the
Jennifer: “My whole life before Covid-19 revolved around people. Meetings, events, banquets, and neighborhood gatherings dominated my life. As an extreme extrovert, I had a
Diaka: “On Monday, March 16th, 2020 Governor Andy Beshear made the difficult decision to close all bars and restaurants. My response consisted of a laugh
Cui and Donglin are expecting a girl. It’s both exciting and nerve-wracking. She is due on April 30 and will be named Lexi—after Lexington.
Kelly and Shanna are nurse practitioners at the UK hospital. Kelly works mostly nights, Shanna works mostly days—they are trying to keep everything as normal
Donna: “Our daughter Jessica and her baby girl Ryn came from Okinawa Japan to visit in mid-January and have not been able to return due
Jordan: “I love talking to people, having fun, and saying crazy things. Trying to get emotions through text messages is hard.”
Meredith: “We typically don’t have sit-down dinners because Tristan has dance class 4 nights a week and I have rehearsals. Since we became quarantined, having
Tara: “I don’t know if I am now a homeschool teacher or a dentist … because all I am doing is pulling teeth all day
Matt: “In any kind of hard time, there is opportunity for growth… We’ve been married for 27 years but with jobs in the medical field,
Genia Harrison teaches at Mary Todd Elementary School. It was Genia’s idea, but their neighbor who made the shirt for Rocco because Rocco works at
Chloe: “I miss my friends.” Carter: “It’s been so boring at home, I miss the boring stuff at school.” Isaac: “I’m bored here. There’s nobody
Derek, Heather, Griffen, and Duncan: “4 redheads and a sousaphone player miss live music. We Will Survive.”
Cara put the two teddy bears in their front-room window 10 days ago, when the coronavirus epidemic still felt quite new. The two bears have
Holly Hughes is the English Language Learner Teacher at Mary Todd Elementary School. David Mato is the Instructional Media Teacher at Maxwell Spanish Immersion Elementary
Betsy Schilling Waters thinks of herself as “a FRYSC” (Family Resource and Youth Services Center). She works at Beaumont Middle School, where she and others
Nell: “It’s 9 PM. I probably ought to get out of my pajamas.” David: “Go back to your classroom.” Lisa: “All I do is dishes.”
Yousef: “Together we stand, divided we fall.”
Miana: “This time a year, we’re such a busy family. We have a sport every single day. It’s strange to have nothing scheduled now. We
Adam and Naheda are expecting their second child in June. A little sister for Malik.
For Shawn’s 50th, his family had planned a weekend in Chicago. They were especially excited to take Shawn to a Cubs game at Wrigley Field.
Mick played two songs for us on his ukulele: “Sunshine On My Shoulders” and “Anti-COVID Anthem #19” (to the tune of “Short’nin’ Bread”). He sang,
Normally, Yessenia and her boys get to see Yessenia’s niece—who are 6 and 2—at least every other day. Now they resort to messages on Marco
Melinda has 4 boys. Because Greenhouse17 lost some of its staff during COVID-19, all the residents have had to pitch in. Melinda rose to the
Jeremy and Karissa feel grateful to have each other. Friday was Karissa’s last day at Common Good, an after-school program and a home-away-from-home for neighborhood
With Hannah’s help, Felice has been home-schooling her kids for almost two weeks. The tradition of afternoon tea is, in fact, part of their daily
Just before we arrived, Finn had found a worm. He was quite happy to be able to show it off.
Amy: “We’ve had several years with very hard transitions. We are so grateful to have this apartment as our home now. And we’re glad to
They feel lucky to have Stefan back from his Fulbright in Austria. He managed to fly back on Fri, March 13. “It was actually a
Kerri was figuring out how to juggle school, her two-year-old being home from daycare (the daycare closed the day before), and a baby on the
“Right now, we are 4 people living in 2 houses, acting like 1 family,” Jeff explained. Melissa also has a child, a 13-year-old daughter, who