As her eighth grade prom was getting underway, Aneliese Stevenson, 14, was feeling on top of the world.

“I feel like a different person. Like I could do anything and be anything I want to be – you know, I’m just, like, on the right path,” she said.

But over her three years of middle school at The Lexington Academy, a public school in East Harlem, she didn’t always feel that way.

What You Need To Know

  • Students in the eighth grade experienced disruptions each year of middle school due to the pandemic

  • But eighth graders at The Lexington Academy got a chance to do something normal Tuesday – have a prom

  • Students say the pandemic was difficult on them, but that being back together has made them feel better

“It was very frustrating, because I'm like – I'm smart. And like, when we were in the pandemic, it was kind of hard for me, so my grades went down. And it was just very rough mentally. And I just, like, couldn't see my friends. So that really messed me up,” she said. “But now I'm better and my grades got back up. So I'm grateful.”

Around the city, students like Aneleise are reclaiming little bits of normalcy as school years end with graduation ceremonies, proms, class trips and all the little things they’ve missed out on.

“It was just really, really difficult for the kids. Difficult for them to develop relationships, which is an integral part of growing up, especially for middle school,” said Tony Hernandez, the principal of The Lexington Academy.

For these eighth graders, each year of middle school was touched by the pandemic. Schools suddenly shut down in-person classes in March of 2020, when they were in sixth grade. In seventh grade, they remained remote or dealt with the back-and-forth of blended learning. This year began with masks and quarantines.

“Kids are resilient. And our motto is: ‘The strength of the future,’” Hernandez said. “And I think I think our kids have really proven that they are the strength of their future – they can have the resolve to meet all the challenges that the world has for them.”

On Tuesday, the biggest challenges were picking out the right clothes.

“I actually went kind of early dress shopping because I was worried that all the dresses were going to be cleared out and I'm very happy with my outfit,” Analeise said.

They showed off their style in a photo booth and on the dance floor.

“They brought their best ‘fits,” said Robin Vilchez, 13, “and we're ready to party.”

And, they’re ready to head off to high school – for an experience that will hopefully be a little more normal than middle school was.

“I thought that this nightmare would never end. But it finally has ended and now I feel better, mentally and physically,” Analeise said.