Best of 2020

“And so typically this is the part where I say that I feel like I’ve found myself this year, that I’m proud of all I’ve accomplished, and that I’m as happy as ever. I am all of these things. But I know now that these phases of life come in waves. There are seasons of the highest high and what feels like the lowest low. I know this and all I can do is pray so hard that I ride that high for much of the upcoming year.”

These words are my own from this day last year as I closed out my Best of 2019 blog post. If only that version of myself knew what was in store for her—2020 was everything and nothing like what I’d prayed so hard for. And while the history books are remembering this year for everything it could have been, I’m choosing to remember it for everything it was.

I’ve always loved a clean slate but January first holds such a special place in my heart for different reasons—I spent the day celebrating four years of Styled by McKenz. Year four of blogging was so monumental for me and I walked into the New Year overwhelmed by your sweet messages and hungry to chase my dreams harder than I ever had before.

And so I did. I spent the entirety of my winter break networking, trying to come up with a full schedule of shows for my first ever New York Fashion Week. I spent hours upon hours sending emails, talking on the phone, and creating pitches, and by February first I had my itinerary ready to go. In the midst of the craziest week of school, I hopped on a plane to NYC and attended my first Fashion Week. My mom met me in the city because my navigation skills are less than impressive and we shared this special moment together. Of course, my trip came with plenty of canceled flights, blisters, and photos on top of street signs.

Days later I flew back to school and was greeted by philanthropy season for my sorority, Alpha Phi. We raise money all year long for Women’s Heart Health through different fundraisers and events. Between our annual King of Hearts competition, date parties, and Red Dress Gala we were able to raise and donate just over $72,000. Between all of that chaos, the social events, a new semester, and my post-Fashion Week high I found myself on the verge of burnout.

And just days after crying over needing a trip home for the weekend we were sent home for the remainder of the semester due to Covid. Looking back, it seems so long ago. The early days of wearing wigs to the dinner table just to give the day some substance. The schools closing like flys, one by one, another milestone stripped from people each day. The teachers adjusting to class over Zoom. The few weeks where people tied scarves around them to do their grocery shopping. The panic that set in, toilet paper nonexistent.

It feels like a different lifetime and yet we are very much still in this stage of life—we just seem to have adapted to it. At the end of April I “handed in” my last final exam of freshman year from our kitchen table. It wasn’t exactly the ending I had hoped for but regardless, it was the best year I could’ve ever asked for.

And suddenly I was left with more free time than I’d ever had before, so I started running…. and I never looked back. No more half @$$ running, I’m talking full-on sprinting. For the first time in my life, I pursued Styled by McKenz full-time. A full forty-hours a week I spent glued to my computer screen—writing more blog posts, filming more videos, uploading more content. I had one video go viral and soon another and then another and suddenly it felt like I was reaching a new milestone every day.

It’s true what they say—when you focus on the good, the good gets better. So I focused even harder. I dug deeper, pushed faster, worked smarter. A month later I hit 10,000 YouTube subscribers—a milestone that truly felt unreal. My 2020 vision board sits above me reading “YouTube goal: 2,500 subscribers”. A day later Madison and I celebrated our 19th birthday. It was a chill day spent with just our family, FaceTiming those we couldn’t be with and sharing what gifts we’d gotten over my Instagram live. Soon after that, I celebrated 10,000 followers on Instagram, a moment I’ve been working towards for years. Of course, I dragged Madison out with the foil balloons and of course, it resulted in us hollering at each other and the strings all tied up in the wind. But hey, we got the photo!

And that pattern continued for the entirety of my quarantined summer, milestone after milestone, excitement after excitement. In just a few short months I watched my hobby turn into my full-time job and I discovered a deeper passion for Styled by McKenz than I ever knew I had.

Part of me felt wrong for celebrating my own accomplishments; there were people around me losing loved ones, getting fired from their jobs, struggling to keep a roof over their head. To some, it may seem incredibly selfish, but I didn’t choose to be 19 when a global pandemic hit, it just happened. And so I chose to turn my lemons into lemonade.

While yes I spent much of the summer clocking in 40 hours a week from our kitchen table, I also made time for fun. In July I took a trip to Charleston, South Carolina to meet my best blog friend Molly for the first time. It was a very lowkey stay full of sightseeing, Cookout trips, and photo shoots but it was a breath of fresh air to do “normal” things after months of being cooped up inside. Days later the fam and I went to the Outer Banks for a short stay at Colton’s beach house. I, of course, took full advantage of the sunshine and spent the entire week laying outside, unplugging from the crazy state of the world. This was our final hoorah of the summer and some of the last days we spent all together as a family before heading back to school.

I’ve always hated change and so this turning of age was especially hard for me. Madison was jobless all summer due to Covid which left her following me around on photoshoots, waiting on me hand and foot. Of all the success this season of life brought me, I truly could not have done it without her. She has been my absolute rock throughout this year and I’m grateful beyond words for all of her help. Needless to say, this year’s goodbye was much harder than the last and many tears were shed.

With few friends in my sorority and my best friends living elsewhere I was dreading moving into my sorority house, anxious as all get out. But the day came and I moved in, furniture, bedding, and kitchen appliances all provided by various sponsorships I’d landed throughout the summer. I took the obligatory “all settled in” photo and after one last food review for the vlog, my parents left me to begin my sophomore year at Kent State University.

And just like that, the chaos of college began again. Although some of my favorite aspects of college were stripped from me due to Covid, my friends and I made the most of it. In case you were wondering, getting dressed up on a Friday night to sit on the couch is indeed the “cool” thing to do.

lronically, during a semester where all sorority & fraternity events were to be held virtually, I finally found my place within Alpha Phi. We had virtual recruitment and took a pledge class of over fifty new faces. It’s true what they say, moving into the house changes your entire sorority experience. Within weeks I found myself getting closer to my roommates Emily and Griffith, branching out to talk to girls that lived just down the hallway. I even discovered Liv & Nat from upstairs who quickly became my go-to girls for a mid-day photoshoot and a late-night gossip sesh.

Sadly, I didn’t make it through the year without getting Covid. However, after a few mild symptoms and a couple of weeks in quarantine I was back to normal in no time. A week later we expanded the fam and I took two littles, Sophia and Logan who I couldn’t love more. I’m hoping that spring semester looks a little more normal and am keeping my fingers crossed that we’ll be dancing at a date party soon!

It turns out in order to continue pursuing Styled by McKenz the way I’d done all summer, online school is exactly what the doctor ordered. My classes were all remote this past semester and I took 16 credits from the comfort of my apartment with ease, finishing the year with straight A’s.

As the school year chugged along, the milestones were fewer and farther between and yet just as special. I celebrated 30K and an early 5 years of Styled by McKenz surrounded by friends that I will carry with me for a lifetime. My heart could not feel fuller and despite the most unconventional school year imaginable, Kent has never felt more like home.

I know so many people are eager to kiss 2020 goodbye and while I’m excited for this new chapter, I have to admit, I’m hesitant to turn the page. This year forced me out of my comfort zone, challenged me to chase my dreams, and allowed me to find myself in ways I don’t think I would’ve otherwise.

I am grateful for a year of so much personal growth and for a season of life I never knew I needed so badly. As cheesy as it sounds, I know I’ll look back and view this year as one of the “defining ones” as it’s reminded me that even in the midst of all the darkness, there is still light to be found. I hope you too can find some.

With a whole lot of love, McKenz

Best of 2016 // Best of 2017 // Best of 2018 // Best of 2019