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Dear editor, somewhere in Troup County there is a student struggling to connect the pieces of their adolescent life together due to the closing of school. 

There are students who were dependent on the relationships that they’ve built within school to give them the strength to take on another day. 

COVID-19 has undoubtedly robbed us all from memories and relationships that makes us the great community that we all are.

Parents are now forced to teach and teachers that are parents are now playing both roles simultaneously; the parent-teacher relationship has now been brought to the forefront. Now more than ever our community has been elected to grow together. 

The immense respect given to educators at this time goes without saying. Whether they are holding virtual classes, contacting parents, dancing on TikTok or driving through our neighborhoods with signs of encouragement, we are all appreciative. 

And our parents and guardians are now in need more than ever. As they maintain their households, educate their children, juggle the uncertainties of employment and follow social distancing guidelines, our parents and guardians rely on the community and its demand of resources. 

Gandhi once said, “The best way to find yourself is to lose yourself in the service of others.” 

Let us not forget that all of us in Troup County are in the business of serving one another. We cannot make it alone and we are all dependent on each other to ensure the success of our children, healthcare workers, first responders and more. 

From the grandmother raising elementary and middle school aged children to the two-parent households, we are all “doing” life together. 

Lift someone up today with a phone call, text or a video call. 

Students reach out to your teachers, parents reach out to other parents that are teaching and teachers continue collaborating with other educational professionals.

COVID-19 has no school zone.

– Nick Griffin

Site Coordinator, 

Communities in Schools