Can you imagine being a kid right now? In my conversations with my own preteen/teenage children as well as other adolescents and college age kids, and they are seriously struggling. I wish that I could drop my kids off into my childhood era so that they can understand how amazing regular summers and childhood really is. I wish they knew what it felt like to wake up in the summertime, get dressed and play outside until it got dark and the street lights came on…Kids will never understand the days of getting excited over school dances, going to football games, hanging out at the mall (although my parents never let me do that, sigh) and going to the skating rink on Friday nights. 

Life as we know it has been changed. It used to be technology, and now, it’s the isolation that has really changed a lot of things. Covid, the pandemic, the lack of in-person anything-it’s been an adventure; a lonely one at that. Who knows when normalcy will return? Whatever normalcy was/is. All I know is that there are a couple, maybe even three or more generations who are probably suffering more than we can ever know. That’s why I wanted to talk to Riley Winslow, my first interview with a Covid college kid.

Honors Student, Fall Homecoming Queen, elite volleyball player, beautiful, God-loving 19 year old girl. Riley. She is literally one of the sweetest kids I’ve met. I can’t be surprised because her parents are amazing people as well. Our connection, although fairly brief,  is through family, volleyball and God (not necessarily in that order,) but I’m certain we will be connected for a long time. She’s my people. During our conversation, we discussed the past year and a half of life with Covid for a high school senior, who turned into a college freshman. The ups and downs of that transition is usually overwhelming as it is, but throw in a pandemic and sports, isolation, illness…it is an absolute WHAMMY! 

Riley explains how she made it through her freshman year as a Marshal University student athlete. Even with her intelligence and drive, she admits the difficulty this past year has been doing almost everything through technology. Episode 11 is just the tip of the iceberg as to what our youth are dealing with right now. We talked about the generation who has been raised on technology become literally sick and tired of that very same technology that they have so loved. We talked all things hair, being bi-racial, Riley’s relationship with God and how Covid has made her realize how she has to be intentional in her friendships. We discussed volleyball and how athletes sometimes become consumed with their identity and sport. I loved Riley’s transparency and willingness to share her experience while away at college, 3 hours from home during a pandemic. Her perspective was enlightening, uplifting and raw.

Riley gave us a little slice of her real life, and for that I’m thankful.

Her Real Life, The Podcast

Creator and Host
Linette Colwell
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Post Production Editor

Holly Harris, Torn Roof Entertainment

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HRL Theme Sound

Kingdrums