Darrius Thompson just wants his routine back.
The SJC Brooklyn student-athlete misses his friends, his practices, his life.
“I just want things to get back to normal and have my routine back,” said Thompson, a sophomore majoring in criminal justice. “I want to go to class, go out to eat with my friends, start tennis.”
In the meantime — while the overwhelming majority of New Yorkers hunker down at home amidst the coronavirus pandemic — Thompson is the only member of his family venturing out to work, providing essential service as a cashier at Dollar Tree in his home neighborhood of Brownsville.
SJC Brooklyn sophomore Darrius Thompson of Brownsville works at Dollar Tree.
“At first, it was very hectic, as we had no protocols at work and the customers didn’t know what to do either,” said Thompson, a member of the tennis team, a fraternity and several clubs at SJC Brooklyn. “Things are more stable and balanced now though – only 10 people are allowed in the store at one time.”
Easy Transition to Remote Learning
Even while working, the transition to remote learning was easy for Thompson, since he had already taken several online courses.
“I was already enrolled in two online courses already, so there wasn’t much of a learning curve for me,” he said. “Although the volume of work has increased online, it’s going well even as I work 25 hours a week.”
Still, Thompson craves to have back the life back that he taken a bit for granted.
“I’m looking forward to the regular, simple things I enjoy,” he said.
This story is part of OnCampus’ “Answering the Call” series, focusing on St. Joseph’s College students and alumni working outside their homes in essential jobs during the coronavirus pandemic.
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