Nashville high schoolers have been at the center of the statewide conversation about educating kids during the pandemic. There voices, however, have been overshadowed by concerned parents, educators and lawmakers.

WPLN’s Damon Mitchell sat down with two students, Kez Echols and Ommay Farah, for a conversation on life during virtual learning. They are both leaders in the student voice network at The Education Trust in Tennessee. In the above audio story, they share tales of personal growth, family life and misconceptions about students during the pandemic.

Kez is a freshman who is yet to attend high school in person. He’ll be finishing out the school year from home. He attends Martin Luther King Jr. Magnet School.

Ommay is a senior at Hume-Fogg Magnet High School. She has returned to in-person classes and will be graduating in the spring. She plans to become a doctor.