When her older sister was in kindergarten, Carolynn’s mother Cynthia would volunteer in the classroom and bring Carolynn, who absorbed the material. When Carolynn was ready for preschool, she was already reading.
When Carolynn attended Quest Charter Academy, she again was ahead of the class but was pushed by her teachers to reach her potential.
“At NHA they allow that and encourage it. They’re not limiting them,” Cynthia Craft said. “They’re not saying, ‘This is what second graders should learn,’ they’re saying, ‘What can you learn while you’re in second grade?’”
Carolynn now is a senior at PrepNet Virtual Academy (PVA) and has earned the National First-Generation Recognition Program. If a student’s parent(s) does not have a bachelor's degree, the student qualifies as a first-generation student. The National First-Generation Recognition Program ensures even more high school students are celebrated for their achievements and can be found by colleges during recruitment to pursue a path forward after high school.
Eligible students qualify based on strong academic performance reflected by PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 scores within the top 10% of test takers for each award program in each state or a score of three or higher on two or more AP Exams by the end of 10th grade.
Carolynn wants to study to be an animator. With a cartoon already mapped out in her mind, she looks to attend either Bowling Green State University or the College for Creative Studies in Detroit.
She enjoys the comfort of learning at home through PVA, which allows her to interact with other students but minimizes the interruptions that might occur in an in-person classroom.
“Every child learns better in different situations, and this is the best situation for us,” Cynthia said. “I like that it’s in a safe environment. There’s too much distraction in a classroom setting, and we find that most of that distraction is eliminated when everyone is face to face on the camera.”
Congratulations, Carolynn!
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About PrepNet Virtual Academy
PrepNet Virtual Academy is a tuition-free, online public charter school in Grand Rapids, Michigan, virtually serving students in kindergarten through 12th grade. It is part of the National Heritage Academies network, which includes more than 100 tuition-free, public charter schools serving more than 65,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade across nine states. For more information, visit nhaschools.com.
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