Class Acts: Flexible Education Vaults Student to Graduation

This series, Class Acts, features inspiring online education graduates with promising futures and showcases how individualized, award-winning curriculum and technology enabled these students’ success.

Cassandra took her first gymnastics class when she was 18 months old and fell in love. Throughout the years, her passion for the sport grew immensely, and by the age of seven, she started training for the Olympics. The hours were longer and the training was harder, but that didn’t stop her. By the age of 12, Cassandra was one of the top 24 gymnasts in the nation on the U.S. Women’s National Gymnastics team. Now, the hours were even longer, and the training was even harder. Cassandra was dedicating 35 hours a week at the gym to pursue her love of gymnastics. By dedicating almost an entire work week at the gym, Cassandra and her family knew they needed a flexible education schedule that a traditional public school wouldn’t provide. They asked around the gym to see what other families with intense athletic schedules were doing, and, thankfully, found K12‘s Ohio Virtual Academy (OHVA).

Online education not only gave Cassandra the flexibility to take school with her to the gym, and to competitions in Belgium, Paris, and Italy, but it offered so much more. With K12, Cassandra was able to enjoy her passion for learning, and rediscover her love of science. She was able to openly communicate with teachers when she needed help, and socialize with other students in ClassConnects. She picked up skills that she could only gain from going to an online school, and they will help her tremendously after high school.

Thanks to the flexible education K12 and OHVA provided, and her hard work in the gym and in school, Cassandra added a high school diploma to her collection of gymnastics ribbons, medals, and trophies in June 2011. Now, she is continuing to create her success story at UCLA toward an atmospheric, oceanic, and environmental science degree.

Cassandra was also able to be a part of the gymnastics team at UCLA, but had to stop training due to multiple injuries throughout her years of intense practices and competitions. As always, Cassandra wasn’t going to give up on her passion, and although she cannot train, she works as the team manager, and says “it has been an amazing experience to be a part of something bigger.”

Have questions for this graduate? Send them to social@K12.com.