I am Palmer is a series of articles written by parishioners at Palmer Memorial Episcopal Church about their experiences in the time of COVID-19. In this series, we are hearing from medical professionals, educators, students, public health experts, parents of school-age children and others who are finding ways to cope and thrive in our challenging times.

I am Andrew Warren, the Educational Specialist at Archway Academy. The Palmer campus became my home during my Junior year of high school in 2009 when I attended Archway as a student. I graduated in 2010 and returned to Palmer to begin my career in 2014. Since then, I have worked as a Recovery Coach and Educational Specialist, sometimes at Palmer and other times at our campus in the Memorial Hermann Prevention and Recovery Center in Spring Branch.

Our community, like many others, was not fully aware in March of the impact that Covid-19 would have. We knew at the time however, that students might have to work from home for a week or two (oh, how wrong we were!). Our administration and teachers sprang into action making sure our students had an adequate distance learning experience. The transition was not easy, and in many ways the job became more difficult. In the end, our teachers’ effort and creativity allowed the students to finish off the school year strong despite not returning in person.

Houston has a phenomenal continuum of care for young people with substance use disorders. At the heart of that continuum is community and fellowship. Our small village that is Palmer allows students, sometimes for the first time in their lives, to be themselves. The same student who arrived to us with their heads down (usually in a jacket hood), lights up within a few weeks. The hallways of Palmer become filled with laughter and excitement.

When we began our distancing, the Archway staff sought to recreate the excitement and laughter from Palmer’s hallways in Zoom meetings. We did our best. We continued our daily check-ins and Friday celebrations. There was a sense of fellowship for most, but sometimes, looking at those little faces in those little screens, we could tell a student was down, just like they were when they arrived on their first day (and usually with the same jacket hood over the head again!). Like our teachers, our Recovery Coaches and Educational Specialists sprang into action. We visited our students in the driveways of their homes, sometimes for hours at a time to check on them. Sometimes we talked about Math and Science, sometimes we talked about Tiger King on Netflix. Regardless of the content, our students were able to sit face-to-face (while 6-feet apart) with a familiar face. It means a lot to our young people and their parent(s) when we come visit them in this way.

Our students live all over Houston, some as far as Seabrook and the Woodlands. Archway is big on walking the walk and not talking the talk, and I realized during my hour plus drives to and from students’ homes over the last few months that when students say they are committed, they show it every day when they wake up at 5am in order to arrive to school on time.

The little things matter! I believe it’s important for us to set up virtual meetings with our friends and family. Virtually celebrate milestones (birthdays, sobriety birthdays, graduations, etc.) as a community. Sit in the driveway and talk about Tiger King. Have a virtual prom (yes, we did). These brief interactions can mean the world to someone feeling lonely and isolated.