More students open up about how Primavera has turned their education –and their lives – around
This is the second in an ongoing series of stories from students in their own words describing why they chose Primavera and how that choice has made a difference in their lives.
Jenna’s Story: Everyday Is Another Accomplishment!
I just had a baby boy. Primavera is making my situation much easier on me! I am able to complete my work on my own time and of course have all my teachers there when I need them! It’s a simple process to get used to while getting used to being a new mom! Everyday it’s another accomplishment!
Jenna V.
Grade 11 – Peoria, Arizona
Jalynn’s Story: Getting Me Where I Need To Be
My name is Jalynn. I am new to online school, and I chose Primavera because I broke my foot while attending a performing arts school. I got really far behind. After being misdiagnosed for many months, I was struggling to catch up. I tried public school and it really wasn’t for me, but at Primavera they are understanding and very helpful with getting me where I need to be. School now works with my time easier overall. I also only have to log in five days a week with 30 hours total. So far I really like online school and Primavera in general and I’m going to continue using it.
Jalynn S.
Phoenix, Arizona
Matthew’s Story: If You Like a Challenge, This Is a Good Place
My name is Matthew. I joined Primavera as a freshman in my second semester because of things that have happened at school. I joined and thought it was going to be easier because it was online and not in a class. It did not turn out as easy as I thought at first. The classes are fast-paced, and questions get challenging later in the course. This online school is not for everyone, though, as it is challenging and not easy.
If you like a challenge, this is a good place for you. It also helped me get a job because I could be really flexible with my time by doing school whenever. It also helped that I am going to be able to graduate early because I am already on my second semester and am going to go to school and do this starting soon.
Matthew C.
Grade 10 – Surprise, Arizona
Talia’s Story: They Want To See Me Succeed
For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved school. From buying school supplies, to meeting the teacher, to doing the homework—I love all of it. Learning new things and expanding my knowledge on concepts I already knew of has just always been something that interested me. I had a really amazing kindergarten teacher who instilled in me a love for reading. Since then I’ve been a bookworm, always looking for new books to read, new worlds to explore. It’s a big part of who I am.
When I was younger, I was very hardworking. I loved going above and beyond the teacher’s expectations and strived to get the best grades possible. About halfway through second grade, I took two tests: one for second grade, and one for third grade. I remember having a talk with my second grade teacher and my mom over my test scores. I ended up doing better on the third grade test than the second grade test and as result, finished the remainder of the school year as a third grader.
I really liked elementary school. My older brother and cousin went to my school prior to me, so I knew a lot of the teachers. I even had some of the same teachers they had, which was pretty awesome. You’re only in elementary school so long, though. Eventually, you have to move on up to middle school. At first, I was excited to take on a new school and meet new teachers, but then it all became overwhelming.
For starters, the local middle school was much, much larger than my previous school. It was easy to get lost, and I did. Also, students from elementary schools across the whole city went there. It was a lot more people than I was used to. Add on three locker combinations to remember and a dislocated knee (that’s another story) … It was all just too much to handle.
In addition to all that, I wasn’t doing very well academically. It felt like I was learning the same things over and over and over again. I wasn’t being challenged. Because of all of these contributing factors, I started homeschooling after six weeks of sixth grade.
I absolutely loved homeschooling. At the time, my mom was a stay-at-home mom and it worked really well. During the period of time of which I homeschooled, my mom and I got closer and I learned a lot. Later though, she had to start working again. This was hard on me. I had become very dependent on her with my schooling. When she wasn’t there, I didn’t work nearly as hard. As a result, my seventh and eighth grade years were not my best.
In 2017, my family decided to move from Illinois to Arizona in order to take care of my mom’s parents. We had been visiting since 2008, so I was really excited to finally live here. Many of my friends in Arizona attended Primavera and really liked it. Hearing their comments on Primavera moved me to do some research of my own. I liked the idea of six-week-long courses and actual teachers and classmates. I was really excited when my first day at Primavera finally came around.
However, adjusting from homeschooling to an online school was more challenging than I thought it would be. I had gotten used to the structure of homeschooling. Although I was excited to have teachers and classmates again, I found communicating with them to be a challenge. Time management and prioritizing were, and still are, problems for me as well. I fell behind in my courses a lot. Once, I was so behind I had to complete two weeks’ worth of lessons in five days. That didn’t go so well. Many times, I felt like giving up or like Primavera wasn’t the right school for me. I even considered going back to public school. This was a very stressful time for me.
Every time I considered switching to another school, whether it was online or public, something always brought me back to Primavera: the support. Every teacher I’ve had at Primavera so far has been so supportive and helpful. They want to see me succeed. I feel like they care for the class as a whole, but also for me as an individual. Whenever I need help understanding a problem or concept, I know I can go to them and they’ll be patient with me as they explain whatever it is I’m not getting.
My guidance counselor is another person who has been super-supportive and helpful. As with any other youth, I have had to make many decisions regarding my life after high school. I’m a very indecisive person and making big decisions makes me anxious. My guidance counselor, however, has made the process so much easier. He always makes sure I have all the information I need to make an important decision and explains things to me in a way that I can understand. Thanks to him, I definitely feel more confident and happy with my future.
Has my time with Primavera so far been easy? No. However, it has been worth all the effort I’ve put into it. I feel like I have learned so much already in the short time I’ve been with Primavera. I also feel like I have grown a lot as a person. I’ve learned the importance of discipline, time management, communication, and also of having a good support group. Although it hasn’t always been easy, I am very happy to be a student at Primavera. I think it’s a great fit for me and my lifestyle. If anyone is looking for an online middle or high school program that will provide them with an excellent curriculum and amazing teachers, I’d tell them to look no farther than Primavera.
Talia T.
Grade 10
