Bonner County students graduate from online academy
Keala Archer, Inspire Connections graduate, is pictured in a senior photo. Archer will attend the University of Idaho this fall to study large animal embryology.
(Courtesy photo)
Keala Archer, graduate of Inspire Connections Online Academy, poses in her cap and gown after graduating earlier this summer.
While many students were graduating from local high schools this spring, four Bonner County seniors were walking across the stage celebrating a unique accomplishment — graduating from a fully online school.
Inspire Connections Online Academy is a tuition-free, state-funded charter school authorized by the Idaho Charter School Commission. The academy has enrolled over 1,100 students from kindergarten through high school across Idaho.
Keala Archer of Priest River, Emma Hall of Sagle, Nicole Pasciuti of Clark Fork, and Maddison Ross of Sandpoint were among the Idaho students attending the academy’s commencement ceremony at Boise State University’s Morrison Center earlier this summer.
Keala Archer enrolled in the academy in seventh grade and was able to graduate a year early. She leaves for the University of Idaho this week to study large animal embryology and hopes to become a veterinarian. Archer decided online school was a good fit for her when homeschooling became a challenging option as she embarked on more advanced subjects.
"I live on a ranch, and I’m very involved in showing livestock," Archer said. "I do 4-H every year and show cattle, sheep, and goats. [Inspire Connections] made it possible for me to pursue my passion in that and be able to show all my animals."
Archer said she enjoyed her online classrooms and the learning environment her teachers fostered. She said they helped her navigate an unconventional social setting and learn effectively, despite the potential challenges that might arise from virtual learning.
"I fell in love with all my teachers every single year," Archer said.
When the pandemic hit, she said that already being an online student offered her an advantage.
"When we entered COVID, a lot of kids in public school struggled because they were having to be transferred online, but it never affected me," she said.
Another student, Emma Hall, is a nationally sponsored snowboarder from Sagle who studied at Connections Academy. Now that she has graduated, she is furthering her training, and hopes to enter the professional world. Avalanche control is another area of study she is interested in pursuing.
"Each of our graduates is off to do great things," said Kenny McAlister, school leader at Inspire Connections Academy. "Whether that’s going to college, joining the workforce, or serving in the military — and we are tremendously proud of their achievements."
