NPR

With Senior Year In Disarray, Teens And Young Adults Feel Lost. Here's How To Help

Stuck at home, with graduations and celebrations canceled, young people are feeling disconnected. Here's how to help them through.
Source: Mikyung Lee for NPR

For many young people sheltering at home means missing milestones and public recognition of their achievements. This is especially true for seniors graduating from high school and college.

Kendall Smith, a high school senior who lives in Tallahassee, Fla., says her school has many traditions leading up to graduation. But this year things are very different.

One of the most eagerly anticipated events is "Grad Bash," a rite of passage when all graduating seniors head off to Disney World. "It's something we've looked forward to since we were freshmen," says Smith. "And I remember hearing about all the memories and seeing them on Snapchat and Instagram, and being so excited about going with my friends."

So it was understandably disappointing when this highly anticipated event was cancelled.

Smith, who plays flag football, says a big celebration for

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