Quarantine Profile: Noah Trejo

Senior works to adjust to changes in schedule during the pandemic

Quarantine+Profile%3A+Noah+Trejo

Socializing is postponed, unemployment is at a new high, and the school year is over. Everyone can attest to their lives being impacted to fit a new normalized change, but Noah Trejo, life couldn’t get any easier. 

“Yeah it’s been different adjusting,” Trejo said. “I mean I do miss everyone and my sports but I’m okay with this.”

Trejo takes almost all AP courses and maintains a 4.0 GPA. Not only does he excel in the classroom but on the field as well. He placed second in this year’s sectionals wrestling tournament. He also was a member of track and the cross country teams. Without in school extracurriculars, Trejo still finds time to do what he loves. 

“I don’t run as much as I used to, but I do run occasionally in the morning and sometimes in the afternoon,” Trejo said. “I never had to worry about going to the gym to workout because I have my own personal weight room in my basement.”

When Trejo isn’t running he’s working at Chick-Fil-A. His shift has changed a little but he continues to work even if there is a pandemic going on. Most of his friends work along with him. At night he works at the restaurant and in the morning he helps his next door neighbor paint fences at the required social distance.

“I still work at Chick-Fil-A.” Trejo said. “I don’t get exposed to that many people because I work in the back. I get to see some of my closest friends in person. So, not only do I get to still work but see my friends. I’ll take it!”

Trejo has a busy agenda throughout the day. He finds time to complete his e-learning assignments, still interact with friends at work, and maintain employment. But that’s not all. When Trejo isn’t logging into e-learning or working outside his house, he finds other ways to be social through the media.

“I’m usually running, scrolling Instagram, or playing my guitar in my spare time,” Trejo said. “I send streaks on snap and text in dm’s with people I don’t see anymore.”

While playing his acoustic guitar he also makes time to reach out to his friends, not at work, just to see how they are. The more he keeps in touch with his friends the more aware he is of his own mental health.

“I’ve used this time to reflect on myself, probably a little too much. It’s hard not to do anything but that. I’ve learned a lot about myself, good and bad,” Trejo said. “I figured out things about myself  I didn’t know.” 

Trejo has given his future some thought during quarantine. He has created a blueprint for the next chapter of his life; college. His plans were to go to Indiana University Southeast and Purdue to major in quantum physics research, but his plans might have a slight delay.

“I was excited to go to college!” Trejo said. “I had an idea of what I was doing and where I was going. Now, I don’t know. I want the full college experience. I don’t want to be stuck behind a screen and paying thousands. If COVID-19 doesnt go away, then I’m not going away to college. Simple as that.” 

   Trejo wanted to finish his schooling in his twenties and continue his career. He had previously stated he had no desire for a love interest or having children. He wanted to pursue his career only. The coronavirus has made some differences to his goals. After his comments about the coronavirus, he followed up with his alternative plans.

“I might take a page from  [friend Noah] Summers’ playbook,” Trejo said. “Take a year off and work full time just until this whole thing blows over. It’s not ideal but might be fun to put the brakes on. Never had that option before. I definitely need to think more about it.”

Trejo is adapting easily into this new world. He is finding a way to keep busy while COVID-19 is still very much at large. He’s able to find the brighter side in this time of crisis. His advice to everyone is, “Everything is fine and will be fine. Just take it how it is.”