Zhenghao Lin, a New York City high school student, graduated amid the covid-19 pandemic despite the challenges of virtual learning and the anxiety of returning to in-person learning. Thalia Juarez for Chalkbeat.
Larissa Bundziak, who has a career in cryptocurrency, was among the thousands of people with high incomes who left the Bay Area amid the pandemic shutdown. Thalia Juarez For The San Francisco Chronicle
Viviana Echavarria a mom of four, in the North Riverdale section of the Bronx. She and her husband were among the New York City parents who didn’t feel safe for their children to return to in-person learning during the ongoing public health crisis and are now facing child welfare investigations.Thalia Juarez for Chalkbeat
Salvatore Stile II, president of Alba Wheels Up, in Valley Stream, N.Y. Thalia Juarez for The Wall Street Journal
Kekeli Amekudzi, a Brooklyn Tech senior, had to balance in-person learning and taking care of her mother, who was diagnosed with cancer during her freshman year. Thalia Juarez for Chalkbeat
Alfredo Sanchez, an MTA station agent of Woodhaven Queens, for The New York Times.
Jaime Francis of Sparta Township, N.J., worries about the possible long-term developmental effects of the Covid-19 vaccine. Since August, the CDC recommended that expecting mothers or women who plan to get pregnant take the vaccine, citing research showing the shots are safe and effective during pregnancy. Thalia Jaurez for The Wall Street Journal
Carlotta Summers, who attended SUNY Fredonia, didn’t realize the state of New York had sued her until the tax refund she was expecting in 2019 never appeared. Her original bill of $7,000 now stands at more than $20,000, she says, due to interest and collection fees. Thalia Juarez for The New York Times
Biology freshman Brady Lee shares a moment with his emotional support cockatoo. Alpine — or Al for short — is therapeutic to his social anxiety and depression. Thalia Juarez/The Daily Texan
Kenneth White, who put in 30 years of active service in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Coast Guard, is part of a grassroots effort to convert an abandoned house in Uniontown, Pennsylvania, into a place for homeless veterans to rebuild their lives, which could be a model for similar houses in the region. Thalia Juarez/The Hearld-Standard
Adolfo Lazaro, was one of few day laborers who ventured out looking for work as the expectation of mass raids cast concern that kept many inside their homes. The Guatemalan father of six fled violence in his home country and is seeking asylum in the United States. Thalia Juarez/The Baltimore Sun