Amber graduated Eastside in 2003 and is currently working as a consultant at Blue Shield.
What were your initial thoughts and feelings going into this new experience?
Originally, I was excited when I found out I'd be working remotely. My work schedule was flexible, even before COVID-19, but working remotely long term was exciting to me.
After a few months, it started to get more and more tedious. It was a struggle adapting to being on the computer all day, and not having a separation between my work life and my home life. Home is supposed to be a safe haven, and I've realized that when you work from home, you have to learn how to turn it off. At first, I worked in my bedroom, but it was too easy to open my laptop and keep working. Having a separate space is key to maximizing productivity and keeping boundaries between work and home.
What has been the greatest challenge for you?
Being a full-time parent, working full time, and still managing to keep everything running at home has been challenging. Things can feel out of control. While I'm working, I also have to log my kids into their classrooms and answer any questions. I'm working to find a balance to ensure that this stressful time doesn’t bring out the ugly because I want to make sure this doesn't affect us as a family. I’m helping my kids understand that we can’t drop everything at the drop of a hat. Boundaries are important.
What have you gained from this experience?
Despite these challenges, I have been incredibly grateful to spend more time with my family. I remind myself who and what matters most to me, and that is my family and my home. Everything else can wait, and everything else can be reprioritized.
We lived in Minnesota for 2 years before moving back to the Bay Area, and before quarantine, we hadn't had much time to enjoy our new house. Now, we get to learn more about our home, spend time in our backyard, and relax
A message to the alumni community
Eastside students are amazing and capable so much. COVID doesn’t stand a chance against us. I would encourage our alums to remember that they are amazing and despite everything going on. We're gonna make it, we're gonna be okay.