Senior Perla Ruiz is a student with many of the same concerns and problems as any other student here at LSHS. She wants to do well in school, balance her social and academic lives and have fun outside of school-related activities. 

But like many others, Ruiz has had academic challenges due to things completely outside of her control. Things that happened that might not necessarily be related to school but still affected her grades and focus while sitting at a desk (After all, who can be expected to focus on an assignment that might not matter in a few years when dealing with events that might affect the rest of your life?) 

So like many others in a similar spot, her grades took a backseat as her mental state took precedence. When she realized something needed to change, she came in during her free time to talk to a teacher whose class she was struggling in. Ruiz asked questions about the material she didn’t understand, and perhaps most importantly, asked her teacher to re-explain concepts in different ways, so she could better understand them. She put in the effort to refocus and as a result, managed to bring her grades back up to where she wanted them. 

While this story may not be something everyone can feasibly accomplish in their own lives right now, it is a reminder that even after an event so isolating as the last few years have been, there are always people around you that have most likely either been through or are going through something similar and you can always ask for help. 

You are never truly alone, someone else has a shared experience with you even if the past few years have been isolating. There is always someone you can turn to in the LSHS community when you need to, just as Ruiz was able to do with her teacher and friends.