Hi, my name is Hadley and I am in my fourth semester at Elgin Community College. I started attending ECC when I was 16 years old as part of my homeschooled junior year of high school. I don’t yet have official plans for my time after ECC, but would like to continue my education with a focus on English, history, and literature. When I’m not working at my job or working on school work I like to do yoga, read books or magazines, watch YouTube and write letters to my penpals. I started penpalling last year when we all went into lockdown as a way to stay connected to people. I discovered a large online community of people who are very dedicated to writing long letters with lots of creative embellishments. I have four penpals from across the country including California, Texas, and Oregon. We exchange letters through the mail every few weeks including things like playlists, stickers, photos, and more. My favorite musical artist is Joni Mitchell, my favorite food is peanut butter and my favorite class this semester is International Literature. I don’t like the online classes as much as the next person, but am hoping for a great semester here on The Observer! If there is anything you would like us to report on, contact me at [email protected].