At a conference this October in Southern California, the APLUS+ Association of Personalized Learning Schools and Services recognized Visions In Education with a Pioneer Award for Proactive Policy Initiative. This award acknowledges Visions work to develop personalized learning policies and legislation to support school choice for students and families. Founded in 2002, APLUS+ is dedicated […]
An aspiring filmmaker, homeowner, and business owner, Sanaa Brooks is keen to get a head start on her dream life and willing to put in the hard work required to get there. So when the time came to choose a high school that would allow her to work at her own pace and pursue her entrepreneur dreams, Sanaa and her family chose Visions In Education.
“I chose to come to Visions because I wanted to graduate early and the school I was currently enrolled in wouldn’t help me with my goal,” says Sanaa. Visions connected Sanaa with credentialed teacher Jessica Wall who worked with Sanaa and her family to create a schedule that helped her pursue her goals and put her on track to graduate early.
“Managing my schedule as a student is very exciting for me because it keeps me very busy and it challenges me,” says Sanaa. “And who doesn’t love a good challenge?”
This go-getting attitude has served Sanaa well at Visions, and as her teacher explains, Sanaa has also developed key soft skills like communication and collaboration with her teachers.
“Sanaa is one of the hardest working students I’ve ever had,” says Jessica. “She’s also very communicative and reaches out for questions consistently.”
Sanaa is currently seeking to enroll in community college to get a jump start on her college education. Her goals after she graduates include attending college, starting an AirBnB business, and pursuing her dreams of becoming a filmmaker. In the meantime, she hopes to continue spending time with the people she cares about, enjoying good music, and good films as well. Looking to the future, Sanaa is undaunted by the challenges that lie ahead and relishes the opportunity to realize her full potential.
“The more I do and learn, the more of life I get to experience,” says Sanaa. “And the more I experience, the more prepared I am for my future.”
Dear Visions students, families and staff: It is hard to believe that the holiday season is already upon us! The holiday season is an opportunity to pause and reflect on what we are thankful for in our lives. Personally, I am thankful for my family, our creative and passionate teachers, our superhero parents and guardians, […]
Visions In Education is proud to announce that Home School Academy Senior Kylee Sears signed to The Master’s University Swimming and Diving Team on November 10, 2021.
Kylee has been a Visions student for the past four years and during that time has swam competitively with the support of Spare Time Aquatics. Her brother, John “JT” Sears, is also signed to The Master’s University swim team.
One of her high school coaches, Matt Paige, had this to say about Kylee regarding her improvement over the past three and a half years: “In the 500 freestyle she’s gotten 47 seconds faster over the past three and half years. That’s monumental and it goes to show her dedication and that she’s always willing to put in the work … .bottom line she gets the work done, is willing to bring her smile and joy and her teammates certainly love her. I know at Master’s she will do so well in the NAIA. She had plenty of Division I offers but the fact that she’s willing to go to a school that shares her values so she can contribute to their program is fantastic. Congratulations.”
Master’s University Aquatics Director and Head Swim Coach, Olympic medalist Gabe Woodward, is eager to welcome Kylee to the team saying: “We are very excited to have Miss Kylee Sears come swim for The Master’s University! We see her as an outstanding addition to the team both in and out of the water and are excited to see the Lord grow her and use her. We will be watching her this season in anticipation of the beginning of her career as a Mustang next Fall. Go Mustangs!”
Kylee had this to say about her education: “I chose The Master’s University because it believes in educating the whole student, both mind and heart, inside and outside the classroom and intentionally has a small student body that allows for individual mentorship and discipleship in all areas of student life, academics and athletics. These are the qualities that I appreciate about Visions also … the individual attention and the development and concern for the student with individual learning goals and strengths.”
Congratulations, Kylee!
November is recognized as American Indian and Alaska Native Heritage Month, also known as Native American Heritage Month. Check out the video and resources below to learn more and get connected. National Museum of the American Indian – includes informative recorded webinars and historical information. PBS Video Playlist – includes programs about Native American leaders, […]
“I have had a lot of different ideas for careers I’ve wanted to go into over the years,” says graduate Nora G. “But they’ve mostly been centered around politics and law.”
As an aspiring law student, Nora always took her education seriously. But in 2019 she was confronted with an unexpected challenge when her former school closed. Faced with a choice, Nora and her family sought a different school. One that would support her interests and offer her a structured path to success.
In Visions’ University Prep program, Nora found the support she needed to chart her career and plan her life after high school. She developed essential skills like time management and personal accountability.
“Managing my own schedule was great for me,” says Nora. “Managing what work I need to get done mostly on my own was fairly natural.”
Nora tackled her coursework with determination, working hard to progress at her own pace. As part of the Find Your Voice writing class, Nora had the opportunity to write and share her original work in a published book. She even returned to mentor middle school students after she had completed the course. She also got a headstart on her college credits with the support of her teachers and counselors, developing her French skills while earning her high school diploma.
“My relationship with my mentor teacher Ms. Nichols was great,” says Nora. “She was very encouraging and was always very supportive; I enjoyed having her as a teacher.”
Through hard work and determination, Nora was able to graduate early as part of the Class of 2021! Her goals are to work for a few years to save money for college and then attend a four-year university to complete her degree in law or politics. She credits Visions with helping to further her personal goals and help prepare her for post-graduation life.
“Visions honestly was better than I expected for preparing me for life after graduation,” says Nora. “If I could choose to do high school over again, I’d probably decide to go to Visions sooner.”
Filipino Americans are the third-largest ethnic group in California, after Latinos and African Americans, and they are the second-largest Asian American group in the nation. Their rich history is recognized in October as it commemorates the first recorded presence of Filipinos in the United States. On October 18, 1587, “Luzones Indios” arrived in what is […]
Faten Seyoury has always known the value of a good education. A passionate and curious student, Faten worked diligently for years until her family had to move and she was faced with a choice. She needed a school that would support her love of learning, allow her to pursue her goals at her own pace, and support her unique needs as a learner.
At Visions, Faten was connected with a qualified credentialed teacher Forouzan Soufi-Siavosh. She also gained the support of counselor Nina Handal who helped her chart her educational course.
“She not only helped me reach my goals but helped me become a better person,” says Faten. “She always believed in me, encouraged me, and still encourages me to do better and to further my education.”
With the support of her teacher, counselor, and other Visions support staff, Faten settled into the flow of the Independent Study program. As an Independent Study Student, she learned vital soft-skills like accountability and time-management while working on her high school diploma. She also received support as a bilingual student and improved her English skills, working with her teachers to work and learn at her own pace.
“Being an independent study student taught me to be more responsible and helped me become more independent not only school-wise but also in my life,” says Faten. “It taught me to trust myself.”
Faten successfully graduated as part of our Class of 2017 and has moved on to pursue a career in the medical field. She currently works as a medical assistant while finishing up her nursing education and hopes to become a registered nurse once she’s finished. She thanks her teachers and Visions’ staff for helping her awaken her true potential and navigate the challenges of life after high school.
“Visions’ staff helped me grow so much as a person and improved my English skills,” Faten says. “I had such great staff that I remember their names to this day.”
For Hispanic/Latinx Heritage Month we want to spotlight our new Superintendent, Dr. Steve Olmos. His Hispanic heritage played a large part in his journey to becoming an educator. Steve’s parents immigrated to the United States from Mexico. Although his parents came to the US before they started a family, Steve was raised speaking Spanish and […]
For Tia Kawazoe, Visions was part of her family life from Kindergarten to graduation. A dedicated reader, swimmer, and avid knitter, Tia’s parents wanted to offer her the same personalized learning and flexibility that her older sister already enjoyed as a Visions student.
With the help of a team of qualified credentialed teachers, Tia was able to get a quality education that allowed her to pursue her interests. At Visions, Tia learned valuable time-management skills and how to balance a rigorous course load with a schedule of extracurricular activities.
“I had to be diligent about my time,” says Tia, discussing her strategies for completing her schoolwork. “I would set an hour timer and do school for an hour. Once the timer rang, I would take a break and then start up again.”
Once in high school, Tia distinguished herself by tackling new academic challenges in preparation for college while still finding time for extracurricular activities. With Visions’ support, Tia began taking community college classes to get a headstart on college. She participated in the Find Your Voice writing program and became a Life Member of Visions’ branch of the California Scholarship Federation (CSF), earning scholarships for enriching her community. Tia also had the opportunity to shadow members of the Sacramento District Attorney’s office, gaining valuable insights into a career in the criminal justice field.
Tia was part of our graduating Class of 2021 and one of the recipients of the Steve Phelps American Dream Scholarship! She plans on attending Solano Community College to continue her undergraduate work before transferring to a four year university. She credits her mother and her Visions’ teachers for helping her succeed and discovering her true potential.
“All of them have been extremely supportive,” Tia says. “They helped me flourish as they worked with my mom to create the best academic and life plans for me.”
