hadley theme park legos

How Homeschool Student Hadley Golden Crushed Quarantine with Creativity

The year 2020 will be a memorable one for years to come. The pandemic flipped many student's worlds upside down. With very little warning or understanding, they were no longer able to hangout with their friends, participate in extra curricular activities, go to the movie theatre or even go out to eat. That is enough to make all of us feel down in the dumps. Hadley Golden, an 8th Grade Homeschool student at Elite, showed us how she took this negative circumstance and turned it into a potentially life changing and positive experience!
Hadley was working with one of Elite's awesome Language Arts Vendors (Write on Webb) where she had to write an essay about her dream job. Through this assignment, Hadley realized her dream of becoming a theme park set designer, ideally for Universal, Disney or Legoland! She explains in her essay that this will not be an easy feat.

"This job is for someone courageous, fearless, and adaptive. This is not for an individual who likes to dip one toe in the water. It is for the adventurer who will dive in headfirst and enjoys being cutting edge. If imagination does not come naturally, he or she is on the wrong playground".

Melissa Webb with Write on Webb said it was one of the most well-written inspirational papers.

"Teaching places me in the presence of great, young minds. What a gift! Exceptional students require a little inspiration and a lot of encouragement. They do all the work. Hadley Golden is a perfect example of this. She is a talented, creative, courageous, hard-working person. It is my honor to know her".

When the quarantine hit hard at the beginning of 2020, she became inspired to create.  Hadley had earned the money for her Legos from her mom-daughter Origami Owl business, where she is a part of a Young Entrepreneur’s Program. She had all the tools (and time) she needed to build whatever she wanted: and she did just that!

Hadley created Golden Ticket Dream-Park with lots of unique features that allow theme parks to maximize their profitability with quarantine  protections in place and some innovative perspectives in new layouts and attractions.  She is also a true Harry Potter fanatic and was able to purchase most of the Harry Potter Lego Collection so that she could recreate the famed Wizarding World of Harry Potter.  Perhaps as impressive as the Golden Ticket Dream-Park is her Quarantine Compound.  The Quarantine Compound is home to a unique multi-generational 90-member family who is quarantining together with a considerable amount of pets too.  She built a whimsical, thoughtful, and efficient home complete with a kitchen that can seat all, an outdoor Harry Potter amphitheater, water slide, pet pagoda, and more.  Each room is full of detail and bunkbeds of course that reflect the personalities and hobbies of the kids who bunk there.

Her mother, Tiffany Golden, is so proud of her daughter and everything she has accomplished throughout her time in quarantine.
"Discovering her dream job literally gave her a sense of elevated purpose. Who knew that it would be something horrific like a pandemic that gave her the time and space to bring this to life.  This has filled her soul most of all and filled the long lonely days with possibility over pain and distracted her from feeling more fear".
After seeing the above video, one of her current instructors, Brenda Cole, also encouraged her to explore online programs to expand on her talents. During the process of writing her paper, she created a video that went viral at Universal Creative and landed her a 1-hour phone call with Elaine Hinds, the Director and Executive Producer at Universal Creative! It is safe to say that when Hadley sets her sights on something, she does not stop until she gets it.
The encouragement she has received from Universal Studios and her own Elite Teachers is fueling her belief in herself at a time where teens are so hard on themselves and struggling through this time of isolation. Hadley is fighting the negativity of quarantine the only way she knows how, with grit and tenacity. All of us here at Elite are extremely proud of what she has accomplished during this tumultuous time, and hope that her story can inspire others to begin doing what they love!

Phoenix

Meet Phoenix: Incredible Artist with Passion and Ambition

There’s nothing better than finding a passion to make life a little bit less stressful. Sometimes, it’s those hobbies that get you through, especially in 2020!

For Phoenix, a student here at Elite Virtual Academy, art is their thing. This student is incredibly talented, and although we certainly think Phoenix is talented enough to make it a career, art is meant to be their side passion in life.

Really, Phoenix has so much potential, they could go anywhere they want in life!

And that’s what Phoenix plans to do.

Here’s a little more about this awesome student:

 

About Phoenix Cassell: Artist, Social Justice Activist.

 

Phoenix started with Elite Virtual Academy in 2019 while living within Death Valley National Park. Phoenix has been drawing from a young age and one day it caught the eye of Mrs. Reardon, their teacher. Mrs. Reardon wanted to share it with us. 

“I’ve just been drawing a lot sine I was a kid,” said Phoenix. “I don’t know what it is about art, but sometimes it’s nice to cool down. It just calms you. I haven’t taken any art classes but it’s something I love.” 

Here are a few of Phoenix’s drawings, just to get an idea of their talent. Most of the art is digital, although Phoenix does sometimes sketch by hand. And what Phoenix draws ranges to anything they feel like at the moment.

“‘I feel like when I was a baby, I would just take a pen and draw. I don’t feel like it mattered much what others thought. It only mattered that I wanted to do this, and I needed to do it,’ said Phoenix”

Although Phoenix is very talented, drawing is just one of Phoenix’s many passions and talents.

“I don’t know I don’t think I’ll do art as my main thing but I will continue to do art,” said Phoenix. “I want to do something that I do for my past time and not work, then it becomes less of a hobby.” 

Phoenix told us they actually started an art business for a little bit, but found that it was a stress to be told what to draw with deadlines attached. For Phoenix, art is about finding release and enjoyment.

So, what does Phoenix want to do after high school?

“I don’t know yet, but I would like to be an equality protestor, equality HR, police officer maybe. I’ve thought about those. Fighting for the country that I live in. I thought about a pilot or a flight attendant too because I love going places. I could be a president, I could be a vice president,” said Phoenix.

Social justice is something that is very important to Phoenix, as you might have noticed from the list of potential careers above. It often reflects into Phoenix’s artwork, shown below.

“I’m inspired by the things I love and am passionate about. That’s my inspiration to draw,” said Phoenix.”

Phoenix’s last main inspiration is the family dog, a Dutch Shepard.

“My dog is a very big inspiration to me. She is just a very sweet dog. Her name is Ibex,” said Phoenix.

One thing is certain: Phoenix is going to keep learning after high school.

“I have plans to go to college. I don’t know what I’m going to study in college but I am going to college,” said Phoenix. “I want to get the best education possible. I have a few years to decide.”

We love not only the ambition, but the wisdom of this Elite student. We can’t wait to see what Phoenix does next!

To learn more about Elite Virtual Academy, head here.


Angelina Arriola

From Failing to Thriving: Meet Angelina, soon to be first-generation college student

Elite Blog Logo

When we started Elite, one of the things we wanted to be was a safety net for students who fall behind. Sometimes, a school just isn't "for them," and we wanted those students to have options so they can excel and have a great start to their future.

And it's always such a wholesome thing to see students actually accomplish excellence. Because while our (amazing!) teachers can provide support and reach out, it's up to the student to work hard.

Angelina Arriola, an Elite Virtual Academy student, has done just that! She came to us from a previous school where she was struggling and lacked motivation. Since March--right through the thick of this crazy year that we call 2020--Angelina has gotten straight A's!

About Angelina Arriola, future first-generation college student

Angelina ArriolaAngelina is from a big family with six siblings. Her mom just had a baby, so Angelina is busy being a helpful big sister. Between that and other family commitments, it's time consuming to say the least. She's a driven student with dreams who didn't stop when she hit a bump in school.

"Well, the last school I was with was …the support wasn’t really good  there, at least to me. I just didn’t feel very welcomed to ask questions. So, I never really asked for help, which lead me to feeling overwhelmed and then I just started slacking off a lot and I wound up getting to a point where I had all F’s. That’s what lead me to have to change schools, so I came to Elite," said Angelina.

As we've said before (but we'll say it again), Angelina went from failing to mostly A's in six months. Even with a brand new baby sister to help out with!

"I think the difference is the teachers at Elite are definitely just nicer for sure. I feel real welcome to ask for help or a retake, or just ask for anything that I need for school. It’s almost as if I’m in an in-person school, I just feel welcome to text them real quick and get the question out of the way," said Angelina.

"Ms. Lively is the best teacher I’ve ever had for sure. If it wasn’t for her, I wouldn't have the motivation from the start to have good grades. I was defeated. But she's really rewarding and she makes you feel good for actually working so it’s always a pleasure with Ms. Lively."

Another small goal Angelina is working on: improving her graffiti art.

"I like drawing graffiti art, it runs on my dad’s side of the family," said Angelina. "He taught me a lot, so it’s kind of fun and special to me."

She didn't want to show us her work yet because she wants to be proud of it, but we're sure she's her own worst critic, considering most things she does is amazing!

After graduating Elite, Angelina wants to become the first person in her family to go to college. Where, she's not sure just yet, but she's leaning toward San Francisco to be far enough to have her own adventure but still be somewhat close to her family.

"I definitely want to go to a four-year college, I want to be the first one in my family," said Angelina. "And I have the support from my family to do that, and not only my family, but Elite too. So, it’s making it seem pretty possible, like I think I’m really going to do it."

Congrats, Angelina. We are so proud of you!

To learn more about the Virtual Academy Angelina's attending, head here.


Noah Reyes

Elite Student News: Noah Reyes earns a perfect AP Calculus Score!

Noah Reyes

Congratulations go out to an Elite student, Noah Reyes, an 11th grade high school student in  the Elite Academic Academy Homeschool program.

Noah attempted the Advanced Placement exam in Calculus BC this past Spring and earned a 5, indicating a perfect score. Noah is self taught in mathematics and has utilized resources such as ThinkWell Homeschool courses for online video instruction and practice.  In addition, he has been taking a series of college courses in chemistry and biology since 2018 at Palomar College, as well as English 100 this past summer, and has maintained a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Noah is also fluent in speaking and writing German and participated in competitive tennis before the pandemic.

Nowadays, he concentrates on mastering his ping pong skills at home for recreational purposes. Noah is just another example of one of our Elite students who is dual enrolled in college and continues to excel academically. 

When he was in Middle School he was honored as one of the "brightest middle school students in the world" at an international Johns Hopkins University ‘Center for Talented Youth’ (CTY) awards ceremony last May, and qualified for CTY’s Julian C. Stanley ‘Study of Exceptional Talent’ (SET).

Congratulations, Noah. We are all proud of you!


How steer, pigs and Elite brought these sisters together and ready to graduate

If you think about your siblings--whether you're grown or are a student--you probably love them, but they get on your nerves sometimes. During our current pandemic, probably more like a lot of times.

Sometimes, it takes time to grow close with your siblings. Other times, it takes some livestock and the right school!

Kacey (19) and her younger twin sisters, Cheyenne and Cerenitee (17), have only gotten closer as they've grown. A lot of that, they say is thanks to finding a passion they all share, and having Elite there to help them pursue that passion!

Here are the Vivirito Sisters below. They raise livestock and are changing their community around them with their passion and positive energy!

 

Kacey, Cheyenne and Cerenitee have been raising livestock and entering competitions/selling for the past four years now. They've also recently had a steer win first place in his class; his name was Chuck.

 

"So how we found showing livestock—the group we’re in is Alpine Range. I feel like the reason we are so attracted to showing animals because it’s such an experience and responsibility to have and it’s worth the experience because it’s such a strong bond you form with your animals, and it's so rewarding to showcase and have your hard work displayed for everyone to see."

"I just love the memories you make with your animals," Cerenitee added, in a Zoom meeting we had with the Vivirito Sisters.

"Yeah, it’s crazy to think that we’ve learned so much from those around us and now we’re the ones teaching the younger generation. It’s just crazy that we’re now the ones teaching the younger generation and the little kids are looking up to us," said Cheyenne.

"So, you've become sort of experts in your field," we thought. "Why do you keep going? What inspires or motivates you to continue the hard work you've done?"

"I just want to make an impact on the world that there are good things out there and you just got to get into them," said Cheyenne. "I think that’s why I keep showing, it’s very rewarding in the end because little kids will come up to you with your animals and they’ll pet them, ask their names and say, ‘Wow! You’re so cool!’ and really  I’m really not, I’m just doing what I love!"

These sisters are going out of their way to empower the next generation in showing livestock by selling their quality animals at a much cheaper price than they could. Usually a sheep of good quality, for example, can cost up to $1500. Just for one. Needless to say, it's very expensive and the Vivirito Sisters don't want to see kids miss out because of money.

So they sell their sheep to kids starting out for just about $100.

"When we first started, we had very poor quality animals and we know we weren't going in to win, but we still went to play, but we did go in for the experience and learned so much in those few years. So, we want to help the next younger generation that is just starting have better quality animals for a low price. I’m really excited to see how that business takes off."

How cool is that? To not only love what you do, but take the time to pass it on and teach it to the next generation? That's just one reason why we love the Vivirito Sisters.

They don't just work hard in their passions. These sisters have all managed to catch up a school grade in the past semester alone! To them, Elite works better because they aren't so tied to superfluous work and having to attend so many meetings. It gives them the opportunity to balance their livestock work and school work.

"Our old school we were at, they wanted us on meetings all the time. They wanted us from the time we woke up to almost 8 or 9 at night, which is around the time we work with our animals, so it was very hard trying to balance it all. Our grades were slipping, even though we were trying to do all our work," said Cheyenne.

" Now, we can wake up, do our school and go do our animal work," Cerenitee added.

"Yeah, and the teachers make the meeting so much fun. It’s not just all about the school, it’s also about what’s going on in our lives. They care about our animals and it’s good to know that someone’s willing to talk about that versus it just being an hour meeting of just school. So I very much appreciate that," said Cheyenne.

It’s also very easy, well, the work is not easy, but not overbearing. It’s not bunches and bunches of homework onto school work…I think this is the best my grades have been in a long time," said Cheyenne.

"Without Elite, I don’t know where I’d be...probably be grades behind," said Kacey.

So, with all this hard work and passion, where do the Vivirito Sisters plan to be after graduation? It's actually somewhat surprising. But we couldn't be more proud. 

"For me, I aged out of showing, so I want to finish here and go to college to become a vet and work with animals and help in the equine industry," said Kacey.

"For me, I would like to follow in my mom’s footsteps in becoming a certified nurse assistant (CNA). I’ve always been fascinated with the medical field. Whenever my sisters gets hurt, I’m always like, “Oh, cool, I wanna help, can I help?”

"Yeah, you do that!" Cerenitee laughed.

"I guess I’m attracted to making people feel better. So, I feel like a CNA would suit me the best," Cheyenne said.

"Mine is so different from you guys!" laughed Cerenitee. "After I graduate, I want to go to college to become a makeup artist and work on the movies. Mostly in special effects makeup."

"She’s so good. It’s scary how real it looks," her sisters added.

"We grew pretty close once we started showing livestock together. There’s sometimes when we butt heads for a little bit...but we’ve grown pretty close, we do everything together. Elite has helped like crazy. I don’t know where I’d be without elite, that’s all I’m saying," said Cheyenne.

Keep working, Vivirito Sisters! You all are going to accomplish amazing things!

  • Students and readers: What is your passion? We want to hear about it! Drop us a comment below!

Interested in Elite and how it can help you balance your life? Learn more here!


Emily Rowley

Elite's 2020 Graduating Class Valedictorian - Emily Rowley

Emily Rowley

Our 2020 Graduating Class is nothing short of fantastic. They have all worked very hard and it has been a joy to see them grow and work towards their goals. Elite Academic Academy (EAA) has chosen Emily Rowley, a senior from our Homeschool Program, as our Valedictorian for the Class of 2020. Jenny Soulias, her teacher, explains why Emily exemplifies what it means to be "Elite" and is the perfect choice for Valedictorian:

Emily has a heart of gold. She is a kind, warm person who is simply a joy to be around. Academically, her eagerness to learn is exhibited in everything she does, and her work is impressive. She perseveres through challenging times and looks at everything as an opportunity to grow. It was wonderful having Emily as part of the Elite family! 

Emily will be attending UC Berkeley this fall and majoring in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. She was honored to accept the position as Valedictorian, just one more accomplishment before she heads off to college.

My favorite thing about Elite has been working with my teachers to create a class schedule and even custom classes that are specific to my interests. I've been able to take a lot of classes in computer science, deep learning and math that have helped me achieve my goals and prepared me for my major at Cal. My teachers have always been super supportive of my goals, and their encouragement has been invaluable in my high school journey.

We know this is just the beginning for you Emily, and we cannot wait to see everything that you accomplish in the future! Congratulations Emily and to the entire 2020 EAA graduating class.


Hannah Phan

The Virtual Academy Experience, Through the Eyes of 8th Grader Hannah Phan

Elite teacher Vanessa Vosburg is very proud of Hannah Phan, a hard working and dedicated 8th grade student in Elite's Virtual Academy. Hannah is a joy to meet with and her enthusiasm rubs off on the teachers who get to work with her. Hannah is very thoughtful and insightful, often turning meetings with Ms. Vosburg into literary analysis and various discussions. When she isn't conquering her classes, Hannah enjoys reading, playing board games and video games, or practicing skateboarding!

Recently, Hannah was asked to share her thoughts about her experiences with Elite. In response, Hannah penned the below essay, which she has graciously allowed us to share with everyone.

*****

Lately, because of the outbreak of the coronavirus, many schools have been converting to online schools and students have had their first experience in the world of virtual school. Online school has earned a smudged reputation because of this. Students entered virtual school in a
harsh and swift manner and in an unprepared state of mind, and therefore some have negative feelings towards it. They were not able to be eased into the virtual school environment and instead were thrown into it without a choice. This essay is for students and parents alike to
inform them of why online school is actually the most favorable choice for them or their child.

The environment of a home virtual school is, well, home! Because of the ongoing virus, schools have needed to transform their educational environment into virtual studies to allow people to stay home and social distance. Students can work on their schoolwork in the comfort of
their own home or anywhere they have an internet connection. All of their supplies and materials are easily accessible. Students of official online schools and academies do not have a tight and early schedule to adjust to; instead they can craft their own daily work calendar to keep
themselves on task. Even while working at home, they can still easily separate their school and home life. Crafting a daily work schedule for school will help them to set times to work and times to chill, nap, eat, read, exercise, etc. Virtual students can also separate their school and
home lives by having a designated work area, such as a desk or table, that is separated from where they spend their free time. The comfort and accessibility of a home environment allows students to focus more easily on their schoolwork. At first, having your school life in the comfort of your own home can feel intrusive and it can be a challenge to separate work from play, but both lives combined in one place is more advantageous than you would think.

There are virtual school advantages for parents, too! Having your kids get ready to go to school in the mornings and picking them up when school is out can be a hassle and frustrating to your own work and home life. With online school, you also don’t have to worry too much about your gas tank. A survey by SchoolCountry.com shows that commute costs can make up 12-18% of total school fees. Yet, students could get restless at home without any school events to attend; however, Elite Virtual Academy (EVA) offers many different exciting and engaging field trips for virtual students. Students can choose from local or long-distance field trips and can find activities that meet their needs; such as music or dance lessons, or even joining a sports academy if they are interested.

Virtual school comes with many more perks and advantages than just being at home. Elite Virtual Academy charges no fees of any kind for any applications, classes, tutoring, materials, etc. In fact, EVA givesHannah Phan students the opportunity to earn free mailed goodies and prizes
to them. They host art contests, video contests, name drawings, and more that earn students goodies and cool Elite merch. I have personally won art supplies for placing in an art contest (a sketchbook and fine tip gel pens along with Elite Academy sunglasses). Parents don’t have to worry about that extra burden on their wallets and bank accounts by not having to pay for books, tuition, tutors, stationary, uniforms, commute fees, lunch, and more.

With online school comes quite a few personal benefits. In Elite Virtual Academy you can work at your own pace and there are no mandatory due dates, only at the end of each semester. Students of EVA have periodic virtual meetings with the teachers that are both educational and enjoyable. They are especially helpful and productive because of the one-on-one help and tutoring that the students usually would not receive in the average school classroom. Virtual students also have the opportunity to spend more personal time going out and spending
time with family and friends. Students gain both academic and personal advantages when schooling at home.

Doing physical education (P.E.) in the comfort of your home is a much more enjoyable activity because of the ability of personalization. As an eighth grader, in P.E. class I am required to perform forty minutes of P.E. daily and to submit what I did and for how long at the end of each week. The best part is that any type of exercising is acceptable. You can walk your dog, swim, dance, skateboard, bike, do cardio, play sports, weightlift, do yoga... you get the idea.Having the choice of choosing what to do for P.E. class while still having to meet a certain criterion makes us students work and play hard while still having fun by doing our own undesignated physical activities. P.E. makes up for sitting at our screens a majority of the day, and, of course, it helps us stay in a healthy, happy condition.

Studying at Elite Virtual Academy is a blessing for students and parents alike. You or your child being able to stay in the safety of their homes during this pandemic is both reassuring and beneficial. The accommodations and compromises made to fit a student’s personal life are immensely useful to their individual lifestyles and academic well-being. The absence of fees and the companionship of their teachers also contribute greatly to their education. The capability of personalized and private physical activities motivate students to stay on task with their P.E. and contributes to a healthy mind and body. My experience as an eighth grader in Elite Academy has genuinely been exciting and influential. The material I learn on the daily inspires me to continue to learn more and I truly retain that information. One of my favorite perks of online school is the personal free time, which I can utilize to work on my mental health and physique. Virtual school allows me to use my time for self care and it puts no strain on my academic performance, unlike the pressuring workloads and schedules of traditional schools. Taking everything into account, online school is the most desirable option for both children and their parents because of the easygoing, financially beneficial, and low-pressure environment at home.


Ally Krahn

Elite Virtual Academy Success Story: Ally Krahn

Ally Krahn

Elite Virtual Academy (EVA) is for the independent learner who enjoys technology. Students who choose this model have the flexibility to complete their 100% online courses while enjoying ample support from highly qualified instructors and caring counselors. Ally Krahn is an 11th grader that has found academic and personal success with EVA, and her instructors have certainly noticed. 

Due to a recently diagnosed medical condition, Ally was looking for a school that would accommodate the school - life balance she needed. Ally joined EVA in 2019 and found that it was exactly what she was looking for. She has been excelling in her work in EVA all year, and we're truly proud of her,” says Evan Jorgensen, Elite’s Director of EVA. 

Now that she is settled in with Elite and is on top of her grades, Ally enjoys being a part of many extracurricular activities. “I like to practice the piano and draw. I started to play the piano when I was 7 and grew to love it from there. I’ve always loved to draw, however, I started taking it more seriously this past year. I like to volunteer almost every day at Priceless Pets adoption center, and I also spend time as a volunteer at our local library."

Ally playing on the keyboard

Ally’s plans for the future include becoming a nurse and going to Loma Linda University. As she will be a 12th grader next year, she hopes to take college classes during that time to get a head start on pursuing her next degree. Elite Academic Academy is thrilled to offer a truly superior online learning experience for their Virtual Students, where they can keep a healthy balance between learning and pursuing extracurricular activities. 

If you or someone you know is looking for a personalized education with an academy that meets your learning needs and an enrichment program that assists in pursuing your passion, visit our virtual page to learn more and find out how to enroll. 

Virtual Academy  

Enroll Now 

 


Bella Neal

Celebrating Women - Bella Neal

Lights, Camera, Action! Meet Bella Neal 

Bella Neal

Bella Neal is a name you are going to want to remember. A 7th grader in Elite’s Virtual Academy (EVA), Bella has known for quite some time that she wants to be a film director and make movies. Both of her parents are in the film industry, so she has grown up on set and fallen in love with the process. Bella found a home with EVA, where she is able to take her schoolwork to the film set with her, so she can grow academically and learn from professionals in her pursued field. We interviewed Bella to discuss her passion for the film industry and how she plans to use her current experience to break out in the industry down the road.

 

How did you find your passion for the film industry, and how long have you been on sets shadowing employees? 

 

I've watched my parents working on sets my whole life. When I was in third grade, I went on set to watch a movie that my parents had made and my dad was starring in, and I sat next to the director the whole time. I instantly fell in love with the idea of being in charge of the film. Being a director means I get to help with the script, the editing, the makeup, the costume design, the set design, the location, the music, and my favorite part which is casting and working with the actors.

 

What does your typical daily schedule look like throughout the school week? 

 

If I'm at home, I wake up at 7:30 AM, have breakfast and then either walk our dog, Gabe, or go to the gym with my mom. Then we go to my mom's office and I do my school work while my mom works on a script. Then I have the rest of the day to either see one of my tutors or draw, write, and make movies. I have tutors four times a week, two are online through Elite and my math tutor meets me in person twice a week. A few evenings a week I go to rehearsal because I'm currently acting and singing in a musical. If I'm on set, I sit in a trailer or at Craft Service where a tutor works with me. My first time on set, I thought we would do crafts at Craft Service but it's actually much better, it's full of free candy!

How does being an Elite Student accommodate fulfilling this passion? 

Ever since I was in second grade, I wanted to leave school to go to an online school. I knew that if I went to an online school I'd have more opportunities to work on my movies. I have dyslexia and ADHD and the noise and chaos of the traditional classroom was very distracting to me. Now, I can put my headphones in and concentrate on my schoolwork in the privacy of my own home or office or trailer. Being able to bring my schoolwork anywhere is really helpful because I want to start working on sets as a Production Assistant as soon as I can, and I'll be able to shadow the director on my parents' next project, which I'm really excited about. 

What are your plans for the future, whether it be continuing academics, going into film, or otherwise? 

I'm not sure yet if I'll go to film school for college; for now, I know that I'm definitely going to keep making movies, and maybe even act. I really enjoyed being on the craft segment on Home & Family (a daytime talk show on the Hallmark Channel). I also really want to publish my own graphic novels one day. My mom and I just started creating a graphic novel together that we hope will get published one day. My ideal future looks like this: Being a director-producer-writer-actor who makes movies and also creates graphic novels with an Oscar or two over my fireplace! 

 

Home and family

Bella with the hosts of Home and Family being featured in the crafts segment. 

Elie Academic Academy is very proud that we can offer a standout student like Bella the opportunity to chase her dream while receiving a superior education. Check out our Virtual Academy Homepage to learn more about this program and find out if it is the right fit for you or your student. 


Celebrating CTE Month - Culinary Class with Yadira Diaz

soup in a dish

February is National Career and Technical Education Month, where we celebrate the value of CTE and the achievements of CTE programs across the country. According to the Association for Career and Technical Education, High School students who are involved in CTE courses perform better in academics, stay more engaged, and graduate at higher rates in comparison to students who do not take CTE courses.

Elite has a dedicated CTE Program that provides our students with opportunities to explore different career paths or find a career avenue that they are passionate about. Yadira Diaz is one of our Flex Academy Students that is exploring one of her interests, which is cooking!

chef in the kitchen

Yadira is taking a Culinary Arts course through the CTE Program at College of the Desert. She recently earned the award of “Best Plate” in her class, pictured above! Yadira is a wonderful example of gaining the fundamental knowledge and skills that a career-ready student needs in order to prepare for the transition to postsecondary education, career training, or the workforce.

Currently, Elite Academic Academy has four industry pathways for students to choose from and will be launching more program choices in the 2020-2021 school year. Students are able to take the CTE course electives in sequential order to obtain CTE program experience, industry experience, integrated courses, and may also choose to take concurrent courses with their local community college to earn toward program completion and early college credit.

Click the links below to gather more information on the CTE Program and how Elite is dedicated to ensuring all students have the opportunity to reach their career goals.