January Student Spotlight
We are excited to feature a Virtual Campus graduate and terrific young person: Marcella!
Tell us some basic info about yourself (school, background, family).
I am the youngest of four kids; I have three older brothers. I also have a basset hound golden retriever mix dog named Biggie who’s not even a year old yet!
What are some challenges you have faced and how have you overcome them?
The biggest challenge I faced was dealing with my anxiety, which only seemed to get worse when I was attending public school. For a while, I hoped for another option because my experience at school seemed to mess with my mental health. When the amazing opportunity of Virtual Campus came, it was like my wish was granted.
What brought you to Virtual Campus?
I came to Virtual Campus because I liked the idea of going at my own pace and it would eliminate the distractions of other students which was a big problem for me at my old school. It felt amazing to be able to go as fast or as slow on a lesson as I needed.
What are your hobbies and interested outside of school?
Outside of school I enjoy basically anything to do with playing music, singing, and dancing. I also enjoy messing around and creating hairstyles for myself or for friends and family.
What do you love about Virtual Campus?
What I love about Virtual Campus is the fact that I am free to choose my own schedule when I do schoolwork and when I don’t have to. It keeps me from getting anxious about everything when I know that I don’t have to get it all done in like one day.
What is your favorite VC class or favorite VC teacher and why?
My favorite VC classes are easily English and Psychology because I really enjoy writing, so I loved doing my English work. Psychology was just really interesting to learn about. My favorite teacher from VC is Mrs. Chiaramonte; she was an AMAZING Math teacher and made doing Math that much easier since that was always my hardest class. But she made it easier for me and was always willing to help me a lot probably to the point of me bothering her- lol.
What is a typical day like for you as a VC student?
A typical day as an online student is usually me attending one class at Central Campus and then working on my online classes until I’m at a point where I’m halfway done with my work for the week. I try to finish half one day and half another to keep myself from getting overwhelmed and to avoid falling behind.
What advice do you have for current and future VC students?
My advice for Virtual Campus students is to be self-disciplined. My first year, I wasn’t, and it affected my grades. I fell behind at first, but luckily the teachers were eager to help me get back in track. I would say to make sure you’re pushing yourself to get things done because it’s easy to procrastinate and not even realize you’re doing it and then you’re way behind.
Now that you have graduated, what is your plan for the future?
My plan, since I was able to graduate a semester early, is to first save up money and take a little break from school. In the fall, I will be attending Aveda Institute Des Moines with a focus on Cosmetology.
