Class Acts of 2014: A Father-Daughter Graduation

This series, Class Acts of 2014, features inspiring online education graduates with promising futures and showcases how individualized, award-winning curriculum and technology enabled these students’ success.

David and Jennifer are a pretty typical father-daughter duo. Except for the fact that this year they’re both part of Insight School of Kansas‘ graduation.

David, 41, was only able to finish half of his senior year in high school when he was called to active duty in the first Gulf War. When he returned home, education went on the back burner. David worked in construction for years until he took a 13-foot fall from a ladder, putting him on disability. It was then that David realized he needed an education in order to go back to work. Due to David’s disability, and his additional schizophrenia and agoraphobia disorders he acquired as a soldier, leaving home wasn’t really an option.

Simultaneously, David’s daughter, Jennifer, was in an extremely unsafe environment at her local brick and mortar school. A change needed to happen. And fast.

Luckily, someone told David about a K12 commercial they saw on TV. He did his research, and was impressed with what he saw. He started the enrollment process with Insight School of Kansas immediately.

“It was fun,” David says. “We got to choose the classes we wanted to take, and worked with enrollment consultants to make long-term goals for ourselves.”

Now, David and Jennifer can check off one of the goals on their list; they’ve graduated.

David and Jennifer worked together, and were able to encourage each other to focus and get it done. “Helping her helped me more than she’ll ever know,” he says. Adding that “being the dad held me accountable.”

Post-graduation, Jennifer will be attending community college, with plans of transferring to Kansas State, and working with big cats at a zoo as a veterinary technologist. David’s goals consist of obtaining Information Technology certificates, and getting a job in the high-demand field. He, too, would like to continue his education and hopes to have a degree in the next 5 years.

Good luck, you two! You’ve shown that age does not minimize the importance of education, and teamwork really does go a long way.

Have more questions for these graduates? Send them to social@k12.com