Virtual High School Graduates From Across the State Gather for an In-Person Ceremony
June 01 2023 - 8:45AM
Business Wire
CASC Put Me On A Path for Career and
College, One Senior Says
The Class of 2023 – the largest senior class ever at Cyber
Academy of South Carolina (CASC) – will don their caps and gowns
this Saturday, June 3, and receive their high school diplomas,
officially crossing an age-old milestone. Most of these 320
cyber-students will celebrate during an in-person ceremony in
Columbia, S.C.’s, Koger Center for the Arts on the University of
South Carolina campus. Others will follow up with a virtual
celebration – true to their education format – on June 6.
One of those virtual seniors is Emily Willis from Enoree S.C.,
who transferred to CASC her sophomore year when the family found
the virtual school offered a more accommodating approach than her
traditional school. She credits CASC for her focus and excitement
about college and a career.
"Thanks to CASC’s college career prep program, I was inspired to
try STEM classes, and now I want to work in coding and
cybersecurity. I'm excited to start college at USC Upstate this
fall knowing exactly what career path I'm on," she says.
CASC graduation at-a-glance
- Time and place. June 3, 1 p.m., at the Koger Center for
the Arts on the University of South Carolina campus in Columbia,
S.C. More than 200 students will be present in caps and gowns.
There will be a virtual ceremony on June 6 for those not able to
participate in the in-person event.
- Early graduation. Fifty-seven of the 320 students are
graduating at least a year early, and many are dual-enrollment
students at their local community colleges. Last year, 53 students
graduated early.
- Next steps. CASC students go on to do many different
things after high school, be it college, a trade school or career,
or enlisting in the military. Almost two-thirds of the class will
go on to college. Choices include most of the state’s technical
colleges, SC State, USC Columbia, Oberlin College, Duke University,
Georgetown, The Citadel, Clemson, Arizona State and more.
- Classes and pathways. Many CASC students complete a
course of study in one of seven “career cluster” pathways: health
sciences, human services, finance, information technology,
education and training, business management, marketing, and career
and technical learning and work-based learning. Each career cluster
identifies different pathways from high school to college to
graduate school to career.
“We are so proud of our graduates and very excited to see our
school grow year over year,” says Nicki Batson, CASC executive
director. “Our students are virtual learners, but they are very
involved in traditional school activities and milestones. They
participate in state and national competitions, committees, clubs,
and community service and learn valuable in-person skills with
special events and opportunities. For example, our 2023 graduates
attended an in-person prom in April.”
This was certainly true for Emily, who in addition to
dual-enrollment classes, community service, Beta Club, National
Honor Society and student council, was recently celebrated for her
commitment to pursuing a STEM career path by the likes of Boeing
and BMW during a STEM Signing DAY.
“I have a 4-year mentorship with Boeing as I pursue my degree at
USC Upstate,” she explains. “They will continue to check in and
support me in my studies, with the possibility of an internship.
This happened because I was given an advantage at CASC. My
milestones were higher and they encouraged me to step out of my
comfort zone and dream big.”
Her mother Karen Willis agrees. “When we made the decision to
pull her out of a traditional public school and put her in CASC, we
weren’t sure what to expect. But after a brief transition, it was
clear we found the right program for Emily. She was pushed and
encouraged, and pretty soon she opened up and was trying all sorts
of new things. It was very exciting to watch,” she says.
About Cyber Academy of South Carolina
Cyber Academy of South Carolina (CASC) is an online
public-school program of The Charter Institute at Erskine, serving
students across the state of South Carolina. CASC is tuition-free,
giving parents and families the choice to access the engaging
curriculum and tools provided by Stride, Inc. (NYSE: LRN), the
nation’s leading provider of proprietary K-12 curriculum and online
education programs. For more information about CASC, visit
casc.k12.com.
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Ken Schwartz Stride, Inc. Sr. Manager, Corporate Communications
kschwartz@k12.com
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