Our society is continuing to adapt rapidly in the midst of this pandemic, and one of the most important aspects of our community is undergoing major evolution and iterative change: the higher-ed industry. Continuing with our podcast series of speaking with university-level professionals has helped us better understand what to expect from colleges and universities going forward. We had the opportunity of speaking with Cezar Mesquita, the Director of Admissions at Western Washington University. Our CEO, Reetu Gupta, conducted the interview via video call to abide by social distancing policies.

This week, rising-sophomore Vivian discusses how she’s spending her summer and the impending school year. With school opening plans in the air, she’s in the same position as millions of students across the country—wondering how COVID19 will impact the next school year.

The higher-ed industry has adapted immensely to these trying times, but there is still a long road of uncertainty ahead and it's imperative that students, parents, and staff members plan for the future. To equip the higher-ed community with the necessary tools and knowledge to tackle oncoming obstacles, we have been talking to institutional-level professionals to hear their insights. We had the privilege of speaking with Bryan D. Ryberg, the Associate Dean for Student Success & Admissions at Roanoke College. Our CEO, Reetu Gupta, conducted the interview via video call to hear from Mr. Ryberg and his thoughts on what lies ahead.

Summer is in full-swing! As kids await news on the fate of their fall semesters, we caught up with Adya, a high school student who is keeping up with academics over the summer. While she misses face-to-face interaction with her friends, she is skeptical about going back to in-person classes in the fall due to rising coronavirus cases.

Over the last few weeks, we’ve been honored to hear the high school and college perspectives of COVID-19. This week, we’re looking at the impact of COVID-19 on teens in middle school! Alexis Johnson attends middle school in Virginia and while she’s worried about the pandemic, being at home with her little brother and dogs have made it hard to fully concentrate on distance learning.

Here at Cirkled In, we’ve kept a pulse on how coronavirus has impacted schools and higher education across the country. To take it a step further, we’re beginning a new series to hear from a different perspective: A student!

This week, we had the pleasure to interview our newest intern, Ria Mohan on how she’s been impacted by COVID-19 and what the future holds for her.