Nexus Academy student follows his dream and performs in and out of the classroom

Dwayne Jones is an avid dancer with a passion for performing and sharing his talent. Dancing is all that he has ever wanted to do and he hopes to follow this dream to Juilliard or the University of the Arts in Philadelphia when he graduates high school.

Currently a junior at Nexus Academy of Cleveland, Dwayne’s schedule can be demanding and stressful as he juggles his rehearsals and training with his academic work. At times it has been a difficult challenge.

As the 2014-15 school year was beginning, Dwayne was performing at Praise Fest behind gospel singers Fred Hammond and Donnie McClurkin. This October, Dwayne danced at the Masonic Theatre in Cleveland behind local rap group, Bone Thugz N Harmony. On November 4th Dwayne began a tour through Ohio and Michigan with local singer Gabrielle Nicole.

Two years ago Dwayne needed help to balance his dance and academic schedule so he enrolled in Nexus Academy of Cleveland, a blended public charter high school where students attend classes on site and online. As Dwayne attends classes four hours a day, four days a week, he has the flexibility to keep up with this school work and maintain a busy rehearsal schedule.

“In a traditional school setting, I would have limited time to get my work done,” Dwayne said. “At Nexus
Academy, not only can I move at my own pace, I have the flexibility to go back and cover material that I may have trouble understanding.”

Dwayne describes himself as an independent learner and he appreciates the opportunity to dig deeper in
subjects that interest him such as science. He added that when his dance schedule starts taking up more of his time, he is able to plan ahead and move forward in his school work so that he won’t fall behind.

“Because I’m doing my work on the computer and can move forward to keep up with the coursework,” he said. “If I run into trouble and need something explained, I can email my teacher or learning coach to get the help I need.”

Despite his busy schedule, Dwayne has been able to maintain good grades which will be very helpful when it comes to his plans for after graduation. Speaking of graduation, Dwayne gave a very special performance during the Nexus Academy of Cleveland commencement ceremony in June with a dance that he
choreographed as a tribute to his graduating friends.

About Nexus Academy Schools
Nexus Academy schools are tuition-free, blended public high schools that operate in Ohio, Michigan, and Indiana. Combing the best of online learning with an exciting campus environment, Nexus Academy schools offer a college preparatory education for students seeking a more personalized and flexible public school option. Nexus Academy students attend a physical campus where teachers interact with students both online and on-site, while campus-based teachers and “Success Coaches” help guide students through Connections Education’s comprehensive online high school curriculum. Nexus Academy Schools are part of the Connections Education family, a leading, fully-accredited provider of online learning in the U.S. that includes Connections Academy full-time virtual public schools for grades K–12 and Connections Learning online learning solutions for schools, districts, and other organizations. Connections Education is part of the global learning company Pearson (NYSE:PSO). For more information, visit www.NexusAcademySchool.com.