Two Youth Beat students, Onivid Garzon and Christopher Ruiz-Guerra were featured in an SF Chronicle article at the end of the year that looked back on both the “pain” and “purpose” Bay Area residents found in 2020.

Onivid described how hard the year has been. “I started feeling stressed and locked in my house. All the hopes I had at the beginning – I’m going to draw, I’m going to write – went away and instead I’m just sitting on the couch looking at Instagram, doing nothing.”

Christopher, who goes by “Twichy,” talked about how the pandemic has opened a door for growth: “2020 has made me a better person,” he says. “Youth Beat has guided me toward that path of self-discovery and opened many doors to opportunity.”

Here at Youth Beat, we’re grateful to the SF Chronicle for including youth voices in the piece. It’s been a challenging year for kids everywhere, but especially rough for those in low-income communities like East and West Oakland.

But we also see bright spots, and one of those is just how much fantastic work Youth Beat’s students have produced during the pandemic – all from home! Check out this short compilation video of some of Onivid’s best work. And check out Twichy’s “Vision for the Future” video, in which he contemplates what the future might look like and gives you a peek into his isolated COVID world. Don’t miss the dance moves at the end!

As always, thanks to the many donors and others who support Youth Beat. Thank you for stepping up for Onivid and Twitchy . . . and all of Youth Beat’s students. Oakland’s kids need you now more than ever!