The past year and a half has brought many challenges. For college students, the holiday comes as a welcome reprieve before the end of the semester. WNIJ’s Allyson White recently gathered responses from students at Northern Illinois University about what Thanksgiving means to them. Here’s what they had to say:
“For me, [Thanksgiving] means coming together with all my family after the stress of school and work and just having time spent together.”
-Jocelyn Barrientos, Chicago, Biology major
“Thanksgiving to me is just being together with loved ones and being thankful for all the things that we've been through in the past year and just being grateful for all the loved ones that I have around me.”
-Jacqueline Reynoso, Pecatonica, Family and Social Services major
“…just enjoying the moment and being together and not taking things for granted. It’s being with family and enjoying our time together.”
-Ryan Miranda, Bolingbrook, Health Sciences major
“It's a day where me and my family spend time together all day long.”
-Natalie Cortez, Belvidere, Kinesiology major
“To eat dinner and spend every minute you can with the people you love and make sure that you don't take anything for granted because I think that's the thing that everyone has learned throughout this past year and a half.”
-Isabel Inman, Avalon, Wisconsin, Accounting major
“To be grateful of what you have and the family you are provided. A lot of people don't have the same privileges you have having a home cooked meal and being with family, so it's small things of being able to eat a meal and have a time with your families.”
-Emily Carey, Orland Park, Communications major
“Thanksgiving means to me a time to celebrate with family to gather right before Christmas.”
Sharrell McNeal, Maywood, Health Science major