MURRAY, Utah--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Utah Virtual Academy (UTVA), an accredited online public charter school for students statewide, will hold an in-person graduation ceremony on Friday, June 1 at 6 p.m. at East High School in Salt Lake City.
Utah Speaker of the House Greg Hughes, a strong supporter of school choice, will deliver the keynote address.
“Congratulations to the Utah Virtual Academy Class of 2018,” Hughes said. “Graduation is the first step in these students’ life journeys. They should feel extremely proud to have reached this milestone.”
Of this year’s school-record 160 graduates, 35 percent are graduating with honors. Class of 2018 valedictorian Lynn Ricks and co-salutatorians Amanda Baird and Matthew Johnson will address their classmates. Ricks, who also earned her associate degree from Snow College thanks to concurrent enrollment, plans to study biology at University of Utah in the fall. Baird will attend BYU-Idaho, and Johnson will enroll at Weber State University.
UTVA is also proud of 54 early graduates in 2018, including 34 seniors who finished their high school requirements after the fall semester, 19 juniors and one sophomore.
UTVA’s graduates have benefitted from a rigorous and engaging curriculum while receiving instruction from state-certified teachers, which enables students to find post-high school success. The school offers an active, supportive school community, a range of extracurricular activities and a robust Advanced Learner Program which allows high school students to get ahead by earning college credits through in-person and online concurrent enrollment opportunities.
UTVA also offers the Destinations Career Program, which prepares full-time students in grades 9-12 for college and careers and provides them with relevant technical skills in two career fields – information technology and health sciences.
“Our staff is proud of the commitment, motivation and drive demonstrated by our high school graduates,” said UTVA head of school Meghan Merideth. “We look forward to their future successes and the many positive contributions they have in store for society.”
The graduates report that they have been accepted to colleges and universities across the country, including University of Washington, Utah State University, Wichita State University, California Polytechnic State University, Dixie State University, Snow College, Salt Lake Community College, New York Film Academy in Los Angeles and the U.S. Air Force Academy Prep School. In addition, two students plan to join the armed forces.
Students choose online school for a variety of reasons, including a safe learning environment, advanced learning options and the ability to support extracurricular pursuits or medical needs.
Media is welcome to attend graduation. Details are as follows:
Utah Virtual Academy Graduation
Friday, June 1, 2018 – 6 p.m.
840
S 1300 E
Salt Lake City, UT 84102
UTVA head of school Meghan Merideth and graduating seniors will be available for media interviews.
About Utah Virtual Academy
Utah Virtual Academy (UTVA) is an accredited online public charter school that serves Utah students in kindergarten through 12th grade. As part of the Utah public school system, UTVA is tuition-free, giving parents and families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12 Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the nation’s leading provider of K-12 proprietary curriculum and online education programs. UTVA also offers individual course options for high school students enrolled in their resident district program, an approved charter school, private school or home school as part of the Statewide Online Education Program (SOEP). For more information about UTVA, please visit http://utva.k12.com.
