A New Normal

by 1st year WIT Teen Karina Parikh
Founder of Stick2You

Never in a million years would I have ever expected that we would start off this “perfect 2020 decade” socially distancing ourselves from our friends and loved ones and wearing face masks whenever we got the chance to explore the outdoors.

COVID-19, without a doubt, has brought unpredictable changes to our daily lifestyles. One of the biggest questions that we all ask ourselves is “how do we adapt to this ‘new norm?’” The most difficult part of this COVID-19 crisis is the feeling of uncertainty. We are all learning more about the virus, society, and ourselves each day and no one really knows when everything will turn back to what we deem “normal.”

Although COVID-19 has brought lots of darkness to the world, it is important to stay positive and acknowledge the important lessons that it has taught us. Personally, it has taught me that we should never take things for granted and always look for the new opportunities that arise! In WIT, they remind us that no matter what the circumstance is, you can always do “whatever it takes,” whether that is finding a way to pivot your business, picking up a new workout routine, or learning alternative ways to communicate with the friends and family that you dearly miss.

I am the founder of a business called Stick 2 You, which aims to promote teen wellness by selling stickers with encouraging and uplifting messages on them for teens’ personal belongings. During the COVID-19 crisis, I realized that many other teens and myself all shared similar feelings. We were missing the social aspect of our lives and felt disappointed that we would be missing out on all of the exciting parts of high school, like prom and spring sports. For this reason, I wanted to create a space where teens around the world could connect and bond with one another and share their tips on ways they are coping with social-distancing during this unprecedented time.

These past couple of months, I have had the opportunity to collaborate with 5 other WIT teens (Abi, Kian, Zoe, Madeleine & Sarina), whose businesses are also centered around promoting wellness, in order to host our very own virtual teen wellness series! It has been a great experience as I have learned so much from working with my fellow peers, organizing / facilitating events, and hearing the amazing ideas from the guest speakers and teens that attended the call. Although hosting a virtual teen wellness event was not in my original business plan for Stick 2 You, it has turned out to be an awesome silver-lining for me during this world-wide pandemic, and that is what I think is the most important part. There is always a silver-lining in every situation and I advise you to try to seek yours! I believe that one can only become stronger when they combine both their passion and energy into creating something.