COVID first struck their small Arkansas town the spring of their junior year. As seniors, they continued to feel its ripple effects as they navigated classes, college applications, and graduation.
In this piece, John and Jonathan Easter, twin brothers from Bradley, Ark., reflect on the impact the pandemic had on their college plans, and the challenges they’ve overcome as the first in their immediate families to pursue higher education.
Throughout their journeys, they received support from their families as well as the Rural Community Alliance, a nonprofit organization that empowers students in rural communities.