Giving the spotlight to SheHeros in Chicago

Usually, when we think about superheroes, we think about someone in a cape, tights, and has a cool logo. Well, this SheHero wears a student ID, a Jewel Osco uniform, and a paintbrush in her hand. 

Arianna Stanford is a sophomore early childhood education major at Illinois State University. 

The #SheHero herself, Arianna Stanford.

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues with numerous cases, it has been difficult adjusting to this stay-at-home order. According to Patel, for many students, online studying, missing extracurricular activities, or their commencement ceremony has been considered a rough patch.

With the challenges of being a student and trying to adapt to online learning, Stanford is also working throughout the week as an employee for Jewel Osco. 

As a full-time student and employee, one may ask how does Stanford have the time to continue her artwork? How does she balance between all three? Well, I had the time to interview Stanford and here is what she had to say. 

Q: What’s one challenge about being an online student and working in a grocery store? 

A: Something that’s most challenging while being an online student and working in a grocery store is that the hours are demanding. I have to work around both my work schedule and classes because some teachers still expect me to be active during online classes while completing assigned assignments. 

Q: Has this pandemic challenged you as a student?

A: This pandemic has challenged me because I was already a procrastinator but these online courses have made me worse and I have a bad memory. Therefore, I need to write things down or I will forget. There have been several assignments I have failed to complete in some classes, I’m just happy that I haven’t forgotten any exams. 

Q: What is your current fear while working in the public as more cases are increasing? 

A: My biggest fear is a customer coming in that's been infected and it somehow gets around our store. As employees, we are all required to wear both mask and gloves that our store provides us with. But it’s not necessarily required for the customers, so even with our masks/gloves, we are still at risk. This fear hasn’t impacted my mental health as much, but sometimes it lingers my mind when I do simple things like take my gloves off after a long day of work. 

Q: Due to the virus, did you feel the urgency to get a job and why?

A: I kind of did feel an urgency to get a job but I also didn’t. I knew that a lot of people were out of work due to the virus and that some people didn’t work because of the virus. But as a sophomore in college, I needed a job. I planned to get a job to pay the rent for my apartment next semester. 

Q: How has this virus impacted any of your relatives or close friends? 

A: I still keep in contact with friends and they are handling the pandemic pretty well. My mom is a teacher, but she is currently on paid leave and is taking a lot of health precautions. My dad is a bus driver, and he is at risk the most because he’s exposed to more germs. My younger siblings are struggling with the transition of online work as well. 

Now, when Stanford finish saving the day by continuing working, and balancing her school work, she finds peace in her artwork. She is currently still selling paintings/jackets during this pandemic to help bring a smile to others. 

You could follow her Facebook business page @Ava's Designs and here are a few of her pieces. 

(All photos are created/shot by Arianna Stanford)