KAIA'S ONLINE SCHOOL EXPERIENCE
At Connections Academy, students with extracurricular interests and commitments can find a better way forward. For Kaia, that meant finding a way to pursue her dreams while continuing to excel at school.
DAY IN THE LIFE OF KAIA
Prepping for College Success
As a 12th grade student at Connections Academy, Kaia strives for excellence in academics with her sights set on college. Thanks to her more flexible school day, she also has time to pursue her passions—like figure skating, which she competed in for several years.
Type of a Learner
COLLEGE PREP
COMPETITIVE SPORTS
FLEXIBILITY NEEDS
Learning Coach
Father
School Schedule
- 6:00 a.m. — Wake up and eat breakfast
7:00 a.m. — Prepare for the day’s courses
7:30 a.m. — AP® macroeconomics and AP calculus coursework
9:30 a.m. — Complete chores around the house
11:00 a.m. — Take a lunch break
12:00 p.m. — AP English literature LiveLesson®
2:00 p.m. — Competitive figure skating
5:00 p.m. — Have dinner
5:30 p.m. — Finish schoolwork
6:00 p.m. — Speech and Debate Club prep
7:00 p.m. — Personal time writing poetry or coding for a local site
KAIA'S STORY
Seeking the Best of Both Worlds
By the time she entered high school, Kaia’s competitive skating career had taken off—and it was consuming more and more of her time. She was a good student and loved learning, but traditional school with its typical school schedule was no longer working for her. She needed another option. So she and her parents started asking around.
Everyone Recommended Connections Academy
Kaia’s fellow competitive skaters faced many of the same scheduling challenges. Kaia and her parents spoke with the families of those skaters and many offered the same recommendation: Kaia should enroll in Connections Academy. So, her parents enrolled her. And that made all the difference.
As a Connections Academy student, Kaia no longer had to conform her learning schedule to a typical school day. Instead, she could arrange parts of her day to fit around the demands of figure skating.
"The freedom to set my own schedule allowed me the time I needed to travel and train," she says.
But then, a career-ending injury put her on a new course.
Adapting to Unexpected Change
No longer able to pursue competitive figure skating, Kaia needed more than flexibility in her school day. She needed direction. Fortunately, her passions were expansive—and Connections Academy proved to be the perfect place for her to explore new opportunities and grow as a student and person.
"Before Connections Academy, I was more limited in the courses I had available to me and in the ways I could challenge myself academically,” Kaia says. “When I joined Connections Academy, I found many diverse and exciting course offerings."
Building Her Future
At Connections Academy, Kaia has taken classes in journalism and used her more flexible schedule to write poetry, plays and stories. She also founded a virtual student club called “Can I Have a Word?” With the help of her 11th grade AP English Language teacher, she established the club as a space for students to share their ideas, thoughts and opinions during uncertain times.
But Kaia wasn’t done. She also reached into her local community and coded a website to help people find Asian-owned restaurants. The COVID-19 pandemic had hurt many of these restaurants, and Kaia knew she could help.
Preparing for College
Now, Kaia’s attention has turned to choosing a college. Once again, Connections Academy has been right by her side, helping her along.
"I’m very proud of my Asian heritage,” she says. “And I was motivated to help in any way I could. The response and support I’ve received has been so gratifying."
"My counselor has been incredibly supportive and helpful during the college application process,” she says. “I know I can reach out to her whenever I have questions, and she’ll always be there for me. And not just my counselor—many teachers have offered great support and resources to seniors throughout this process."
In addition to helping her find a college, Kaia says Connections Academy has prepared her to thrive once she heads to campus. Not only has she enjoyed a great education, Connections Academy has helped her build her personal responsibility and hone her time-management and organizational skills.
"I’m very, very pleased with my experience and have enjoyed my time at Connections Academy," she says.
With her energy, passion and Connections Academy education, she’s surely headed for a bright future.
AP® and Advanced Placement® are registered trademarks of the College Board. Used with permission.
