While Distance Learning can be very hard during these times, students can be applying the core values into their everyday lives; empathy, integrity, community, and intellectual and creative curiosity, and grit.

Bear River School counselor Mary Buhr suggests some ways students can incorporate grit into their daily lives. 

“Students can use grit by committing to their education, even when the internet is spotty, even when the power goes out, even when there are distractions at home, even when they are tired and don’t want to get out of bed. Students can use grit by problem-solving these situations by keeping in touch with their teachers, by utilizing office hours, by not giving up.”

Buhr then begins to explain in depth what grit is, how we have been using it, and not noticing. 

“Grit is a life skill. Practicing grit prepares each of us to face and overcome obstacles in our lives,” she says. “Today we’re facing COVID and the successes we have at this moment are ones that we will be able to build upon later in life. This generation is going to be able to say to their children and grandchildren, ‘Hey, I went through COVID-19! I can do anything!’ When this generation encounters difficulty, they will be able to look back on the ways they coped with this pandemic and say “This (whatever this happens to be) is how I managed during the pandemic, perhaps I can use the same tactic to overcome whatever new obstacle gets in my way.”

Buhr then tells how she incorporates the core values into her work life. 

“I love almost everything about my job, but there are a couple of things I just don’t like to do,” she starts. “I use grit by recognizing that ignoring the things I don’t like to do is not going to make them go away. One “gritty” technique that I use is to do the work that I don’t like to do first to get it out of the way. Otherwise, I’d be dreading those jobs all day. When I finish the job, I feel a sense of accomplishment which gives me a lot of energy.”

Senior Maddy Pratt explains what GRIT means to her, and how you can use it. 

“Grit is being able to face a challenge that seems hard and taking it on anyway. It’s overcoming your challenges,” she said. “Grit can be found anywhere you face a challenge. Some great examples though from activities are found in sports or extracurriculars. For sports maybe you are faced with a new goal or expectation or maybe things didn’t go as planned, but with grit, you will face these challenges and try your hardest to beat them.”

While some students like grit and would like to see it be used around the school more often, others have no idea what it is. 

Sophomore Sarah Dessart explains her knowledge of GRIT.

“I honestly have no idea what it is, I’ve seen posters around the school but I’ve never really known anything.” 

Many underclassmen feel the same way. It seems as though when former principal Dr. Amy Bessler left the school a lot of her interactions with grit went with her too. 

Sophomore Gracie Pratt says, “I really only know a little bit about it, it has to do with something like being strong and facing your fears or something like that.” 

The core values are valued by upperclassmen and M. Pratt feels like it should be more enforced around the school. 

“I think grit should always be an important character trait and everyone should try to show grit when they can.”