LUSK, Wyo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--After a school year like no other, Wyoming Virtual Academy (WYVA), an online public school serving K-12 students throughout the state since 2009, will celebrate its graduates with a virtual & in-person commencement ceremony at Niobrara County High School on May 22nd.
In the age of COVID, the in-person portion will have safe, distant, and individual time slots for students to be recognized by staff in-person. There is no requirement or obligation to attend.
“It should be noted that despite the pandemic, WYVA enrolled over 1,000 students this year, and the online school never missed a day of instruction, which kept our students motivated, excited, and moving forward,” said WYVA Head of School Joe Heywood. “Their achievements deserve to be shouted from the top of the Grand Tetons, and we’re so happy to have provided a range of solutions to help all our WYVA families.”
This year, WYVA will graduate nearly 53 students. Approximately 16 students will graduate with a cumulative GPA above 3.5 and nearly $125,000 worth of college scholarships have reportedly been awarded to the Class of 2021. Three of WYVA’s graduates: Jolie Strahan, Julia Colvin, and Kaitlyn Campbell earned the prestigious Trustee’s Scholarship from the University of Wyoming which requires at minimum an ACT score 30 and high academic achievement.
Collectively, the graduating class reports it has been accepted to colleges and universities across Wyoming and beyond including Brigham Young University, University of Wyoming, Southeastern University and South Dakota State University.
Jolie Strahan is WYVA’s 2021 valedictorian and plans to attend the University of Wyoming in the fall. Julia Colvin and Logan Shuck are the class salutatorians and will attend the University of Wyoming and South Dakota State University, respectively. It is notable that both Julia Colvin and Logan Shuck have been students with the Wyoming Virtual Academy/K12 since kindergarten. The keynote speaker will be former Wyoming Supreme Court Chief Justice, Ms. Marilyn Kite.
“WYVA has taught me resilience, integrity, and personal discipline,” said senior and Valedictorian Jolie Strahan “I am extremely thankful to have had the opportunity to participate in such a rigorous, well-rounded curriculum that is a huge part of who I am today.”
And mom and learning coach Zeta Anderson shared in a recent survey about WYVA, “I have more interaction with the curriculum and [like] being able to discuss various viewpoints.”
Prior to the pandemic, students enrolled in virtual school for a number of reasons—some were looking to escape bullying, some may have fallen academically off track, and others were looking for an alternative to the traditional classroom setting.
WYVA students access a robust online curriculum in the core subjects, including 58 credits of concurrent enrollment through Eastern Wyoming Community College and a host of electives and attend live virtual classes taught by state-certified teachers.
WYVA is inviting all families and friends worldwide to join the celebration. Details of the graduation ceremonies are as follows:
WHAT: Wyoming Virtual Academy 2021 Graduation Ceremony
WHEN: Saturday, May 22nd, 2021, 2PM at Niobrara County High School, Lusk, WY.
CONTACT: For any questions about the celebrations, please contact Caroline Hickerson at cahickerson@wyva.org. For media inquiries, please contact Ken Schwartz at kschwartz@k12.com.
About Wyoming Virtual Academy
Wyoming Virtual Academy (WYVA) is a full-time online public school program of the Niobrara County School District #1 that serves students statewide in kindergarten through 12th grade. WYVA is tuition-free to Wyoming students and gives families the choice to access the curriculum provided by K12, a Stride company (NYSE: LRN). Stride offers learners of all ages a more effective way to learn and build their skills for the future. For more information on WYVA, visit wyva.k12.com.
