Interview with Ilisse Gomez
Date2022 June 8
Mediumborn digital audio file
DimensionsDuration: 9 Minutes, 40 Seconds
ClassificationsInformation Artifacts
Credit LineCommunity History Project Collection
DescriptionInterview with Ilisse Gomez. Interviewed by Viktoria Stosrowko on 8 June 2022 at New Britain High School, 110 Mill St., New Britain. She was interviewed as part of the Connecticut Historical Society's Community History Project discussing her experience during the COVID-19 Pandemic.
At the time of the interview Ilisse Gomez was a teacher at New Britain High School. She recalled first hearing about Covid from her students, but was unsure of what they were talking about because she did not frequently watch the news.
Ilisse loved remote learning because she felt that it was similar to how college operates and it helped prepare students for college.
She supported mask mandates and believes that vaccines are beneficial. Ilisse felt that masks helped prevent her from getting sick during covid and that the vaccine reduced the severity of covid when she did catch it.
Ilisse’s mental health did not suffer during the pandemic because she thrives on being alone. When asked to describe the pandemic in one word, Ilisse chose “relieved” because she was calm during the pandemic. Her advice to people experiencing a future pandemic was to gain a better understanding of their mental health situation and get resources beforehand.
At the time of the interview Ilisse Gomez was a teacher at New Britain High School. She recalled first hearing about Covid from her students, but was unsure of what they were talking about because she did not frequently watch the news.
Ilisse loved remote learning because she felt that it was similar to how college operates and it helped prepare students for college.
She supported mask mandates and believes that vaccines are beneficial. Ilisse felt that masks helped prevent her from getting sick during covid and that the vaccine reduced the severity of covid when she did catch it.
Ilisse’s mental health did not suffer during the pandemic because she thrives on being alone. When asked to describe the pandemic in one word, Ilisse chose “relieved” because she was calm during the pandemic. Her advice to people experiencing a future pandemic was to gain a better understanding of their mental health situation and get resources beforehand.
Object number2022.20.63
NotesSubject Note: The Connecticut Historical Society’s Community History Project (CHP) is a public-facing initiative, focused on contemporary collecting, gathering items of the recent past as well as from events happening today. This program developed community historians to identify, document, and preserve their experiences as residents of Connecticut, and to share these experiences during a series of community presentations. The project focused on the impact of Covid-19 on Connecticans, particularly on Black and Brown communities, funeral homes, and on nursing home and elder care populations.Cataloging Note: This cataloging project was made possible in part by the Institute of Museum and Library Services MA-249472-OMS-21.
Subject Terms
- New Britain
- People of color
- Oral history
- Interviews
- COVID-19 (Disease)
- COVID-19 (Disease)
- COVID-19 Pandemic (2020)
- Oral narratives
- Teachers
- High school students
- Online learning and distance education
- Technology
- Vaccines
- Masks
- Face masks
- Subjects
- Mental health
- Relationships
- Education
- New Britain High School (New Britain, Conn.)
- Puerto Ricans
- Hispanic people
- Hispanic Americans
- Women
- Interviews and Oral Histories
- Born Digital Audio
- Community History Project IMLS Museums for America Grant
- COVID-19 Pandemic Collection
Collections
- COVID-19 Pandemic Oral History Interviews (Community History Project), 2022-2023
On View
Not on view
2022 June 7
2022 June 7
2022 June 6