Darien High School Senior on Missed Graduation Due to COVID-19

Lily Genovese, a life-long Darien resident and senior at Darien High School, has been involved in the Darien community from day one. As a freshman, Lily joined the Darien Depot Teen Center Student Governing Board and is currently serving her second year as Co-President of the Depot’s Board. She also joined the Darien Community Fund’s Youth Asset Team in her freshman year and currently holds the position of Co-President. Lily’s passion for those organizations grew in the aftermath of the tragic death of her cousin, who died by suicide in November of 2017.

Lily maintains a position in her community as an avid mental health activist, using her passion for writing as a platform to share her message of hope and awareness. Lily is Co-Editor in Chief of the Darien High School Newspaper, Neirad, and is a regular contributor to The Darien Times. In 2018, an article by Lily, 8 Things You Should Know About High School Feminists, appeared in Conde Nast’s Glamour Magazine entitled. In October 2019, Lily published an Op/ed piece in the Darien Times titled, Dear Readers, Please Stop Asking me Where I Want to go to College. In her Darien Times Op/ed piece of March 25, 2020, A letter to Darien High School seniors, Lily writes about the COVID-19 novel coronavirus crisis and how it has affected her life, her peers, her school, and her community. The opening of her letter is excerpted here…

Dear reader,

I know you are probably sick of the word coronavirus. I know that clickbait is causing anxiety for you all right now. If it makes you feel better, I have zero scientific background. Or any meritable knowledge for that matter. What you’re about to read is basically a journal entry that I decided to share with you.

I first off want to start by addressing any other readers outside of my high school senior peers.

It is incredibly difficult for me to wrap my head around what is going on in our society today. I am so saddened knowing that much of the world is unemployed right now, in stressful financial situations, and feeling trapped. I am also saddened and aware that much of our society is grieving the loss of a loved one to this terrible virus … (read all of Lily’s Op/ed letter to the Darien Times)

About Lily Genovese: This year, Lily will be honored by the YWCA of Darien/Norwalk with the Young Woman of Distinction Award. Lily will also be recognized by Laurel House as the Darien Town Champion at Laurel House’s annual fundraiser, An Evening with Laurel House, Saturday, June 13 at the Delamar, Greenwich Harbor. Town Champions are individuals being recognized for their work and volunteerism, making their towns better places in which to live and work.

The opinions and views expressed in this guest blog do not necessarily reflect those of www.rtor.org or its sponsor, Laurel House, Inc. The author and www.rtor.org have no affiliations with any products or services mentioned in this article or linked to herein.