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Ohio State student celebrates Thanksgiving in quarantine in her dorm

Two weeks ago, OSU freshman Mika Guillen tested positive for COVID-19. Since then, she’s been in a 14-day quarantine in her dorm room.

COLUMBUS, Ohio — We can learn something. Anything. From anyone.

These lessons come from an 18-year-old.

“I went through the whole semester without COVID and I’ve been really careful with everything,” Mika Guillen said.

Guillen is a freshman at Ohio State. 

As part of weekly COVID-19 testing that is required for students living in the dorms, she had a test two weeks ago. Two days later, she tested positive.

It lead to a 14-day quarantine, which meant not making it home to Dayton for Thanksgiving.

“It was really sad for me,” she said. “It was like everything’s ruined. I was planning to go home this Wednesday. I had plans to go home. My parents were going to pick me up and we were going to have a Thanksgiving meal.”

This is where we learn our first lesson.

“We have the option to go home, but obviously I didn’t want to give it to my parents or anything since they’re pretty old as well,” she said. “So, I’ve been here since then.”

Her friends left. She couldn’t say goodbye. She stays in touch with family through a screen with FaceTime and Zoom calls. 

As for Thanksgiving, OSU provided students still on campus with a mini-Thanksgiving dinner with turkey, mashed potatoes and stuffing.

“I’m going to eat that with my roommate,” she said. “Maybe deliver some food if we’re up for it and just try to make the most out of it as we can,” Guillen said.

Lesson number two from Guillen is how to be thankful.

“Honestly, despite the COVID and everything, everything’s been good,” she said. “I’m happy that we got a semester of freshman year. I’m happy for the friends that I made. I made so many memories despite everything. I’m honestly happy and thankful for everything in my life, right now," said Guillen.

Guillen says her quarantine is up Friday and she plans to go home some time the day after Thanksgiving.

Starting Monday, all OSU classes will be remote for the rest of the semester.

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