Entries by Justina Janas

Grad Spotlight: Where Are They Now? Lizzie A.

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High school graduate smiles at the camera in a park

Grad Spotlight: Where Are They Now? Lizzie A.

In 2019 we featured Lizzie in our Grad Spotlight series. We were lucky enough to catch up with her to learn about what she’s been up to since graduating from Visions!

Young Entrepreneur

Lizzie has an entrepreneurial spirit. In high school she founded Team Celebrate, a nonprofit organization that provides birthday parties to youth in foster care. Now she is the Marketing Director of EdVisorly, a startup that helps community college students transfer to their dream university.

After graduating early from Visions, Lizzie continued attending community college but had her sights set on a university. After two years she transferred to the UC Berkeley Haas School of Business, but found the transfer process surprisingly difficult. 

“Throughout my two years of community college, I ended up taking many classes that didn’t transfer and I wasted lots of time and money on unnecessary classes,” said Lizzie. “Unfortunately, I am not the only student to face these problems. Only 18% of aspiring transfer students successfully transfer to a four year university.”

Based on this experience, she was drawn to EdVisorly. Starting out as an intern she’s climbed the ranks to Marketing Director. She works alongside other former community college students who are passionate about improving the transfer process to give everyone a fair chance at a college education. 

A Bright Future Thanks To Personalized Learning

“Visions gave me the flexibility and the freedom to carve out my own path, and encouraged me to be different and to accomplish my goals,” Lizzie said. “I could not be more grateful for my time at Visions and I cannot speak more highly of their teachers and students.”

Lizzie plans to continue her entrepreneurial endeavors during and after university. Team Celebrate continues to thrive with a great group of volunteers that work hard to raise the spirits of foster children. If you or your student is interested in planning your college adventure, EdVisorly recently opened up a waitlist for Seniors to sign up for support. 

We’re so proud of Lizzie’s work and we look forward to seeing her future business endeavors.

Video Bonus

Hear directly from Lizzie to learn more about EdVisorly and how Visions helped her prepare for life after high school.

Opportunities To Celebrate National Volunteer Month

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April is National Volunteer Month! Countless organizations and nonprofits depend on volunteers to provide important services. Volunteering is a great way to help your community, meet new people and make a difference. Find Opportunities Near You Want to volunteer but not sure where to start? Visit volunteermatch.org to find opportunities in your area by topic. […]

Teachers Come Together To Provide Math Support

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For many schools, the transition to full distance learning was a big adjustment. Luckily, at Visions, we were equipped to face this challenge and our teachers rose to the occasion by creating new ways to interact and engage with students virtually. Virtual Math Webinars A group of Independent Study teachers realized that many high school […]

Student Spotlight: Young Business Owner Makes Her Mark

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Mikaela, a teen student that owns her own business, smiles at the camera in a park

Student Spotlight: Young Business Owner Makes Her Mark

Mikaela D. has what most people consider to be a full schedule. On top of being a young full time student, family member, and friend, she is also the founder of Blaq M’inenz, an all-natural skincare line that focuses on creating safe and effective products for all skin types. 

“The commercialized products in stores contain too many chemicals, most you can’t even pronounce,” says Mikaela. “So after researching, I decided to create a more natural and healthier ingredients for my skin.”

Balancing Act

Managing a business while continuing to grow as a person and stay on top of her schoolwork is a full time job. But Mikaela finds ways to manage her flexible schedule since coming to Visions four years ago in search of a more personalized learning option. At Visions, Mikaela found a school that supported her educational goals while taking into account her personal interests.

“Education is my priority, my schoolwork takes about four to six hours a day,” Mikaela says. But even while focusing on her studies and business, Mikaela finds the time to engage in extracurricular activities, including horseback riding, music and even financial management. Working with credentialed teacher Jessica Kimbrell, Mikaela is able to stay on top of her skincare line while still focusing on her studies.

“Ms. Kimbrell and I have a good relationship, very transparent,” says Mikaela. “She is interactive with us and always tries to find a solution to our concern.” 

Final Touch-Up

Mikaela hopes to continue to grow her business and educate other people about the benefits of natural skincare products in the future. In reflecting on her experience running her business as a student, Mikaela considers it enriching, providing her with a sense of personal achievement in addition to advancing her career goals. 

“It has taught me that I can do anything I set my mind to do,” Mikaela says. “My future is limitless, without boundaries.”

April is Autism Acceptance Month

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“The Autism Society of America, the nation’s oldest leading grassroots autism organization, is proud to celebrate Autism Acceptance Month in April 2021 with the ‘Celebrate Differences’ campaign. Designed to build a better awareness of the signs, symptoms, and realities of autism, #CelebrateDifferences focuses on providing information and resources for communities to be more aware of […]

Career Technical Education Available At Visions

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Being a high school student at Visions In Education has tons of benefits including Advanced Education and Dual Enrollment programs! These programs allow students to learn about various careers, develop soft skills and participate in work-based learning. Students can also start earning college credit while still working towards their high school diploma. Preparing Students For […]

March Is Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month

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It’s estimated that over 5 million Americans have a developmental disability. Developmental disabilities are defined as a chronic disability that will likely continue indefinitely that results in functional limitations. Affected life activities can include learning, language, mobility, self care and independent living. Autism, Down syndrome, Spina Bifida and Cerebral Palsy are examples of developmental disabilities. Using […]

Congratulations to the “Learning Your Way Video Contest” Winners!

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We’re excited to announce the winners of our “Learning Your Way” video contest! We had a lot of great entries and we’d like to celebrate all of our students’ great work. Thank you to everyone that submitted entries and supported our talented finalists. Watch this playlist to see all the amazing submissions Without further ado, […]

Student Spotlight: Future Medical Student Finds Her Path

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Online high school student Alyssa smiles at the camera, working on CTE health courses and earning high school diploma

Student Spotlight: Future Medical Student Finds Her Path

“I’ve always wanted to be in healthcare,” says Alyssa G., a junior student with dreams of helping people for a living. But despite her medical ambitions, Alyssa struggled to find her groove in traditional school settings. Alyssa needed a flexible learning program that allowed her to pursue her interests while completing her high school diploma. She found Visions In Education, where she found some much appreciated career guidance. 

As part of the Career Technical Education (CTE) program, a program for juniors and seniors exploring various career paths, Alyssa learned more about the realities of various medical professions. She learned patient safety and medical best-practices designed to help her get a jump start on her career.

“I learned a lot about myself,” says Alyssa. “It helped me figure out what I wanted to do.” 

Visions flexible schedule allowed Alyssa to work at her own pace while exploring extracurricular opportunities. Alyssa was also able to take automotive classes through Visions’ Automotive Program partnership with American River College where she learned the fundamentals of automotive maintenance. Additionally, Alyssa participated in Visions’ Find Your Voice program that empowers students to find their unique creative expression through writing. On top of all of this, she’s coached by credentialed teachers Lonny Gossett and Nancy Ortner who support her career and academic goals. 

The Prescription for Success

In exploring various career paths, Alyssa determined that she would like to pursue a career as a radiologist! She plans to complete her high school education and then transfer to a college to complete her radiologist’s schooling. She credits her teachers with putting her on the path to success and helping her determine which career suits her best. 

“Visions helped me figure out what I wanted to do with life,” says Alyssa. 

March is Women’s History Month

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Women’s History Month commemorates the vital role of women in history. Much can be learned from these historical women and new female trailblazers are popping up everyday.  Making History: Past, Present and Future Jamie Anderson – graduated from Visions in 2008. In 2018, she made history as the first female snowboarder to win two medals […]