Student Success
Chase Your Dreams – You Might Catch One
By Guest Blogger on September 14th, 2016
This post was written by Shalyah Fearing, FLVS student and contestant on The Voice, Season 10.
Have you ever dreamed about a goal that you want to accomplish in life? I have.
Chase after your dreams. You might actually catch one!
I always wanted to audition for “The Voice.” I thought the show was unique compared to all the others. The chairs aren’t facing you during your audition! They can’t judge you off of your looks or style. They can only judge by your voice and that’s it. Genius!
I decided at the age of 12 that I was going to audition for this show and I knew it wasn’t going to be easy. Here comes that ping of doubt sitting in the corner of your mind. The kind of doubt that only comes out of its corner to crush your dreams when the time comes.
“Shalyah. Do you honestly think that out of thousands of singers here to audition, that you’ll get a slot? Why try?” that voice would ask me. Continue reading
FLVS Student Pursues her Passion for Animals
By Guest Blogger on September 13th, 2016
This post was written by tenth grade high school student Madison Toonder. Read about Maddie’s oyster research in a previous blog post here.
In October 2015, I was awarded a scholarship to attend any pre-collegiate program of my choice for winning second place in the nation in STEM mathematics at the Broadcom MASTERS national science fair competition in San Francisco, California.
I chose the Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine at Tufts University’s two-week summer intensive in Massachusetts because it is directly related to my career path.
Tufts’ program is designed to give high school students insight into the rigors of veterinary school. During the program, we attended lectures, studied animal anatomy through fascinating dissections and hands-on palpitations, completed hospital rounds with fourth-year veterinary students, and explored the many different possible career paths within veterinary medicine. My daily agenda was varied and included activities such as learning proper techniques for handling animals, observing surgical procedures, and learning how to perform routine check-ups on a variety of different animals. One of my favorite activities was suturing bananas to practice proper technique. Continue reading
Meet FLVS Alumna Makaila Nichols
By Guest Blogger on August 18th, 2016
This is the first post in a series by former FLVS student Makaila, a model, author, and anti-bullying advocate.
Hey blog readers! I’m the new kid on “The Virtual Voice” block.
My name is Makaila, but all my friends call me Mak and I’m 18 years young. I was once an FLVS Flex student and attended a small private school in Windermere, Florida. So why did I take classes from FLVS when I was already in school full time?
Opportunity.
I started modeling when I was 14 with Wilhelmina Models and had to spend a lot of time in Miami, Los Angeles, and New York (and not at school).
I found myself on a plane quite often and was always told the same thing by the people I worked with, “take classes online.” So I did – and by the time I completed high school, I applied 18 credits from FLVS to the final total that resulted in my diploma from Windermere Preparatory School. Continue reading
Cooney World Adventures Blog Series
By Guest Blogger on July 19th, 2016
If you’ve ever dreamed of traveling the world, it may not be as complicated as you think.
In 2008, Mike Cooney traveled the world with his wife, Catrell, and three teenage sons, Morgan, Zach, and Harrison, who studied online with FLVS. After selling their home, downsizing, and packing up their belongings, the family traveled across six continents and 22 countries…more than 61,000 miles! Today, Mike shares their experiences at speaking events and talks about his book which details their adventures. As Mike likes to say, “If we can do it, anyone can!”
In a year-long blog series on The Virtual Voice, Morgan, Zach, and Harrison and their parents shared their experience: Continue reading
FLVS Full Time Class of 2016: Emma Cahoon
By Guest Blogger on July 6th, 2016
This article was originally written and published in the FLVS student newspaper, News in a Click.
When Emma Cahoon first logged onto Florida Virtual School as a freshman, she was “amazed by the course opportunities.”
Now a graduate of FLVS Full Time, Cahoon clearly took advantage of the unique course offerings that FLVS provides with a schedule that consisted of five AP Classes and resulted in a diploma with 5 and ½ extra credits.
Cahoon plans to attend the University of Florida in the fall, and credits her success to the flexibility of FLVS. “I applied to 16 schools, which is a large time commitment,” said Cahoon. “I wouldn’t have been able to do that without FLVS.” Continue reading
FLVS Full Time Class of 2016: Bridget Forster
By Guest Blogger on June 28th, 2016
This article was originally written and published in the FLVS student newspaper, News in a Click.
FLVS Full Time Senior Class President, Bridget Forster, had a senior year that consisted of international tennis competitions and receiving the prestigious Wendy’s Heisman Scholarship Award, all while maintaining her 4.0 GPA.
Forster, an internationally ranked tennis player, said that she is thankful to FLVS for giving her the opportunity to live her dream of traveling as a competitive tennis player.
Because of the flexibility of FLVS, Bridget was able to follow an extensive training regimen while traveling around the world. “My favorite memory academically is definitely the teachers I got to work with,” said Forster. “I had a hectic schedule as a tennis player and I had the most understanding teachers who were so kind and helpful.” Continue reading
FLVS Student Succeeds Online and On the Ice
By Guest Blogger on June 24th, 2016
This article was originally written and published in the FLVS student newspaper, News in a Click.
At FLVS, teachers and staff often act like proud parents, sharing the stories of exceptional students who take online courses.
Without a doubt, Cailey Weaver is one of those students. She is a talented and dedicated figure skater, who has already won numerous medals and awards in the United States — and she’s only a high school senior.
Weaver began skating at the age of two, when her mother put her into the sport. As the years went on, she enjoyed the creative aspect of figure skating, and with some help from her coach, eventually convinced her mom to let her compete. Continue reading
Celebrating Summer — And You!
By Guest Blogger on June 1st, 2016
The end of the year is such an exciting time for our FLVS students!
Our students may continue to focus on educational goals over the summer or they may focus on other areas of growth within their lives.
Knowing your special gifts can add remarkable meaning and success to your life while helping you to become more willing to appreciate the uniqueness of others.
Many students don’t like the very thing about themselves that makes them one of a kind. Continue reading
A Life-Changing Experience
By Guest Blogger on April 20th, 2016
This is the final post in a series by the Cooney family about their world travels, made possible by the flexible learning offered at FLVS.
For the past 12 months, my family and I have been recounting our trek around the world and sharing what it meant to each of us.
Although it’s been nearly seven years since we returned in September 2009, there is not a day that goes by we don’t think about what the trek meant to us individually and collectively. Needless to say, it was a life-changing experience for each of us. My wife Catrell and I set several goals before leaving on our trek and they were all met. Continue reading
Staying Positive In Spite of Illness
By Guest Blogger on March 18th, 2016
This post was written by FLVS student Aislinn and originally published on her blog offering support for individuals with chronic pain.
Without a doubt, pain changes people.
However, that does not require it to be a negative change. Chronic pain can be defined as a pain that persists or progresses over a long period of time and is often resistant to medical treatments. Pain can be a brutal teacher, but it has the ability to teach life lessons that will go unforgotten.
Chronic pain teaches you how life changes in a moment; we truly have to live each day like it is our last, because life can change any second.
When a chronic condition hits, it can lead you into a world of frustration and uncertainty. Helplessness and hopelessness are incredibly common with chronic pain and various chronic conditions. Continue reading