Every Academy Student Has a Story
They came from different backgrounds with different goals. What they share is a school that didn't ask them to choose between their ambitions and their education.
I was training six hours a day and falling behind in every class. My coach said I had to choose. The Academy meant I never had to.
Train When You Need To. Study When You Can.
From Olympic hopefuls to varsity competitors, these students refused to choose between their sport and their diploma.
My travel schedule for competitions meant I was missing two or three weeks of school every month. Teachers stopped being sympathetic. At the Academy, there was nothing to miss—I just picked up where I left off.
NCAA eligibility was the thing that worried us most. Knowing the Academy is NCAA-approved and that colleges actually recognize the transcripts—that changed everything. My son got recruited while keeping a 3.8 GPA.
I'd wake up at 5 AM for ice time, train until noon, then do my coursework in the afternoon. On competition weeks I'd shift everything around. No other school would have let me do that.
The self-paced format means I never have to email a teacher explaining why I missed class again. I just do the work when I can. My grades went from C's and D's at my old school to straight A's.
Your Career Isn't Extracurricular
Dancers, actors, musicians, and creators who needed a school that moved with their rehearsal and touring schedules—not against them.
I booked a national tour the summer before junior year. My old school said I could take a leave of absence and repeat the year, or withdraw. The Academy said: keep going. I graduated on time—from a tour bus.
Audition seasons meant unpredictable schedules. Some weeks I had callbacks every day. My Academy teachers never made me feel guilty about it. They just asked how it went.
As a parent, watching my daughter try to balance conservatory-level dance training with a traditional school schedule was heartbreaking. She was exhausted and her grades were slipping—not because she wasn't smart, but because there weren't enough hours in the day.
Education That Adapts to Your Health
When your health is unpredictable, your school shouldn't add to the pressure. These families found an education that works around recovery, treatment, and wellness—not the other way around.
After the diagnosis, attendance became impossible. Some weeks she could work for hours; other weeks, twenty minutes was a victory. The Academy never penalized her for that. They met her where she was, every single day.
I didn't want to be defined by my health condition. At my old school, I was "the kid who's always absent." At the Academy, I'm just a student. Nobody treats me differently. I log in, I do the work, I move forward. That's it.
We tried homebound instruction through the district. It was a few worksheets a week and no real engagement. The Academy gave him actual courses with video instruction, real teachers, and a path to graduation that he could control. The difference was night and day.
Built for Students Who Are Already Ahead
Self-taught coders. Students who finished the textbook in September. Learners who thrive online and were held back by a system that wasn't built for them.
I was building apps and contributing to open-source projects while sitting through classes where we learned to use PowerPoint. The Academy let me do real work on my own schedule and gave me the diploma I needed for college applications.
I finished two years of coursework in one. Not because anyone pushed me—because nobody held me back. When I was ready to move on, I moved on. I started college at 16 with a full accredited diploma.
My parents finally stopped worrying about my "screen time" when they realized I was earning a fully accredited diploma from the same screen I use for everything else. The Academy doesn't fight how I live—it works with it.
Our daughter was bored and disengaged at her traditional school. Teachers said she "needed to wait for the rest of the class." Within a semester at the Academy, her motivation came back. She was working ahead because she wanted to, not because anyone told her to.
What Parents Say After the First Semester
The decision to leave traditional school is never easy. Here's what families discovered once they made the switch.
My biggest fear was that colleges wouldn't take the diploma seriously. Then my daughter got into three of her top five schools. The accreditation is real and colleges know it.
I assumed "online school" meant my kid watching videos alone. The one-to-one sessions with credentialed teachers surprised us. His teacher actually knows him by name and checks in regularly.
For the first time in years, my son is actually excited about school. He sets his own schedule, works at his own pace, and takes ownership of his education. That shift in attitude alone was worth it.
recommend SVHS
since 2013
who don't fit the mold
Every One of These Students Started Where You Are Right Now
They had questions. They had doubts. They wondered if an online school could deliver what their family needed. Then they found out.