CHCF August 25, 2023
When she started middle school in 2021, Ava Capen felt depressed, anxious, and a little lost. The previous year the COVID-19 pandemic had shut down California schools, and she spent the final months of fifth grade and most of sixth grade attending classes online.
No more hanging out with friends every day. No more playing basketball. Instead, being at school meant sitting at a desk in her bedroom, staring at a computer all day. Many mornings, Ava didn’t even want to get out of bed.
“I was super unmotivated,” said Ava, now 14. “I was kind of stuck in this funk.”
Even as her school attempted to return to normal, Ava couldn’t shake her melancholy. Then, at 13, in eighth...
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