#FVHSClassof2023 Grad Brady K. Finds His Calling Through Florida Virtual School Clubs 

In just a little over a week, Florida Virtual School (FLVS) graduate Brady K. will turn the tassel at the Florida Virtual High School in-person graduation. But, if you would’ve told him two years ago that he would be graduating from an online school, he may not have believed you! Read on to learn more about his goals after graduation and how FLVS gave him a new outlook on his future. 

A New Perspective  

For most of his school years, Brady lived in a small town in Pennsylvania called Boiling Springs. “It was so small there wasn’t even a traffic light, and everyone knew everyone in school and around town,” said Brady. Fast forward to the end of his sophomore year when he and his family decided to move to Central Florida.  

Moving across the country in high school is always going to be a big change, but Brady felt it most when it came to his schedule. His old school used a block schedule that included fewer classes per day, so when he joined his new brick-and-mortar school, sitting for a full seven periods a day was a lot. “It didn’t give me any flexibility. I would wake up before the sun, finish classes around 2 p.m., participate in extracurriculars like swimming in the late afternoon/early evening, and finally have time to do homework late at night. It left me with no time for anything else!”  

With these concerns in mind, he met with his school counselor who recommended Florida Virtual School to give him flexibility with his schedule. After just two hours of his own research, he enrolled as an FLVS Flex student, and never looked back.  

The Code to Success 

While Brady has always been highly involved in extracurricular activities like Boy Scouts (he was named the 2023 Florida Eagle Scout of the Year!) and swimming, he really found his calling in the FLVS Technology Student Association (TSA) club. The club is a Department of Education encouraged student organization focused on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) competitions and activities. 

Over the past two years in the club, he became the president, met some of his best friends, and saw huge competition wins! This year the club competed at the state level and came in first place in fashion design, fifth place in webmaster, eighth place in on-demand video, and in the top 10 in board game design. They also plan to go to the national competition in June this year!  

He even attributes his future to the TSA Club as he found his college of choice through a fair during the TSA conference.  

The Next Level 

Speaking of college, Brady was recently accepted to Florida Polytechnic University where he will study computer science with a concentration in either software engineering or cybersecurity. He is excited to use technology to positively impact the world. Congrats, Brady! We can’t wait to see what you do next. 

Brady’s fascination with technology began when he was just five years old, and at age 10, he had already taught himself how to build websites.  Prior to coming to Florida Virtual School, he was completely self-taught. Then, he enrolled in FLVS courses on the topics he was interested in, including Foundations of Programming, Procedural Programming, and AP (Advanced Placement) Computer Science A to name a few.  

“FLVS gave me a place to formally learn what I was passionate about!” said Brady. “It has also given me more opportunities. For example, some of these courses wouldn’t have been available at my old school and I am even working on getting my certification for the Computer Science Principles program of study.”  

He also says that online learning gave him a new perspective on how he learns, which he believes will help with college. “FLVS gave me another perspective because it taught me how to be an independent learner. Throughout my traditional schooling, I relied on a lot of people, but coming to FLVS I had to rely on myself. I had to manage my time, create my own schedule, and trust in my capabilities.”  

Make the most of next school year with flexible, full-service online learning at Florida Virtual School. FLVS Full Time enrollment will open on June 5 for the 2023-24 school year. Or if you’re interested in individual online courses, FLVS Flex is open year-round at flvs.net/flex/enroll.     

Congratulations, Florida Virtual High School class of 2023! If you’re a senior who would like to be featured, send us a photo and your plans after graduation via our share your story page or share your photos with us on social media using #FVHSClassof2023.