KUNR Youth Media

Commentary: What The COVID-19 Vaccine Means To One Local 16-Year-Old

KUNR Public Radio | By Nick Stewart

Published April 7, 2021 at 1:22 PM PDT

Nick Stewart is sitting indoors and in front of a laptop. He is looking toward the camera with one hand to the side of his face. There is a blue surgical mask set next to his laptop. — KUNR Youth Media reporter Nick Stewart at his home in Sparks, Nev., on Tuesday, April 6, 2021.

As of Monday, all Nevadans 16 and older are eligible to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. KUNR Youth Media reporter Nick Stewart shares this commentary about why he’s looking forward to getting the vaccine.

Ever since the virus first began to affect my friends, family and my own life, I was just always wondering, and wondering, when things would get better, when I’d be able to see my friends again, [and] when I’d be able to see family again. I was just always in a state of wonder.

In 2020, I went months without seeing my friends and that took a toll on my mental health. I just felt so alone all the time. I knew that I was making the right decision to stay at home, but that doesn’t mean it didn’t hurt me to do it. Now that the Pfizer vaccine is becoming available to my age group, I’m working to make sure that I get the vaccine as soon as possible. I want to be able to help our state, or even our country, to reach herd immunity.

I faced criticism from quite a few people about my decision to get the vaccine. Some have told me that we don’t know the long-term effects of the vaccine, [and] some have even told me that I would be injecting poison into my body. While at first I was skeptical about the vaccine, I trust the scientists. If it means I will be able to go to school every day, go see friends and family more often, go to concerts and not have to worry about contracting the virus, then I’m going to take that vaccine.

I’m hoping by this summer, I’ll be able to have my 17th birthday without needing to take so many precautions. I also hope that I’ll have a normal senior year. I want to be able to go to homecoming, prom, and then I want to have a normal graduation ceremony. While I’m still uncertain that we’ll reach that point, I think these vaccines have given me a lot more hope than what I had, say, a year ago.

Nick Stewart is a junior at the Academy of Arts, Careers and Technology in Reno. KUNR’s Youth Media program partners with the Washoe County School District to train the next generation of journalists.

Learn more about the COVID-19 vaccine in Nevada here.

Learn more about the KUNR Youth Media program

Each fall and spring semester, our dedicated program coordinator partners with the WCSD educator to mentor a select group of high school interns. The internship classes are typically from 2:15 to 4:15 p.m. at the high school, providing a structured environment where students receive comprehensive instruction.

The students are taught radio journalism, broadcast journalism, and media production, gaining real-world professional experience that helps them develop career skills. Students work with media professionals to produce creative audio stories and elevate voices from our region.

As part of the program, students are offered the opportunity to tour KUNR’s facilities and the Reynolds School of Journalism at the University of Nevada, Reno, where they will have the chance to record their broadcasts under the guidance of the WCSD educator and the program coordinator.

This semester-long project is designed to facilitate the airing of the students' stories on KUNR and the publication of their work on KUNR.org. Through this experiential learning approach, students gain valuable insights into public media and develop practical skills using industry-standard equipment.

The KUNR Youth Media Coordinator plays a crucial role in ensuring that students receive scholarly guidance on the standards and practices associated with audio journalism production.

Our program is committed to fostering a safe and constructive learning environment for all participants. KUNR is dedicated to nurturing the creative ideas of students in the program and, prior to publication, KUNR’s Managing Editor reviews all submitted work to ensure that it aligns with KUNR’s established media standards and expectations.

This program was formerly known as Reno Youth Radio.