Melanie Chuh, student, Mclean: The pandemic has somewhat made my days more productive in that the hours I spend on the road each day are now used for other things. However, the pandemic has made me lazier in that I haven’t really done anything school-related during my time at home.
George Sachs, Director, Mclean Community Center: My daily routine hasn’t changed except for making sure I have a mask when going out of my house. I come into work daily first thing in the morning, log on and follow up on email messages. Then I start communicating with staff on what they are working on. The main difference is that staff are not here at the Community Center because we are closed and most are teleworking from their homes.
Rohan Mani, student, Mclean: The pandemic has caused me to learn new hobbies and try to fill out my time productively with the resources I have. It has also caused me to have a greater appreciation for what I had before the quarantine.
Deb Bissen, director of communications, McLean Project for the Arts: This crisis has certainly changed the way we're working, now all in our own spaces connecting virtually through ZOOM and phone and email, but our mission remains the same. All of us at McLean Project for the Arts are challenging ourselves to stay connected to our community of art lovers and supporters by using this "pause" in our daily lives to explore new, virtual ways to share the contemporary art we've exhibited over the years, to convert our visual art classes to online offerings, and to utilize our community partnerships to continue to share ArtReach visual art activities.
Marnette Myers, director of tax administration, Mclean: As a CPA in charge of the tax practice of the Washington Metro office of Prager Metis CPAs LLC, my professional life has been turned upside down. For us, tax season generally means 7 days a week for 3 months, constantly meeting with clients and colleagues as we strive to meet the tax filing deadlines. The COVID-19 crisis has changed so much of what we do, and not just because the tax filing deadlines have been extended. There are no more face-to-face meetings with clients or colleagues. Our meetings are now done online or by telephone while we primarily telework.
