Lucas Palumbo

This blog was first published as part of #KingsStories and reproduced here with the authors permission as a submission to #KingsReflectingTogether

I moved from France 6 years ago and have been living in London for most of those years. I enrolled in a master's degree at King's in September and got the chance to integrate [into] the staff community quickly.  

My experience of the lockdown is, therefore, somehow unusual. Although I am an international student, London is not only where I am studying but also where I am working and have friends as well as where I developed as an adult and feel like home. However, these past few months have been challenging. Above all, I got the chance to be a healthy carrier, however, several of my housemates, including my girlfriend developed severe symptoms and my house had to be put under strict quarantine due to contamination.  

Being isolated, I found resilience in my different connections to King’s. Writing papers for my modules as well as contributing to projects for work gave me something to focus on, something that was taking so much space that there was no room for negativity or anxiety. Through these connections, I also developed relationships with colleagues or fellow students that help me maintain a regular social link. Being a member of the staff community, I was not only a spectator of the crisis but got the chance to be an actor of the university response to it. I was able to participate in actions that I knew could be meaningful not only for myself but also for my fellow students while being in a position where I could, humbly, carry our voices. Despite the workload, the occasional breakdown, and the several challenges, this allowed me to feel empowered weeks after weeks.