North Portland Student Graduates from Online Public School

Mill City—June 7, 2019— Here’s a quick riddle: She can take her home anywhere she goes, she can take her school anywhere she goes, who is she? She is 18-year old Madi Beck of North Portland and she’s one of many outstanding seniors graduating from Oregon Connections Academy this Saturday.

UP to 450 seniors are expected to be part of the statewide online school’s Class of 2019. The

Oregon Connections Academy’s (ORCA) in-person commencement ceremony starts at 4 pm Saturday June 8th at the State Fairgrounds in Salem.

Madi’s family lives on a pretty sizeable boat in a marina at Hayden Island. She believes digital learning not only helps the student, but the family as a whole. “We started doing online school, many years ago because we live on a boat, and we used to travel quite a lot,” explained Madi. “Even though we’ve been docked at the same place for a few years now, the flexibility of online education was something my sister and I didn’t want to give up. Without a huge load of homework, we have time to pursue other interests outside of school, like volunteering.”

Madi enjoys being a volunteer at the Multnomah County Library in St. Johns, but her real passion for service work is outdoors. Last summer she spent over a month with the Northwest Youth Corps clearing the forests trails in the Eugene area and Willamette State Park near Salem among other projects. She’s already lined up a similar schedule with the organization this summer.

Volunteering with Americorps is her longer term goal and perhaps higher education down the road. “I didn’t want to start college straight out of high school,” stated Madi. “I don’t know what I want to do for a career, so I plan to take the next few years to live in my 13-foot trailer, do volunteer work, and travel.”

Not only does Madi like working with her hands in the woods, but she also recently refurbished a vintage travel trailer to be her new home away from home. This outgoing graduate stays physically active, running, hiking, and fencing at a fencing studio in North Portland. In addition, Madi has a creative side for writing, reading, amateur photography and doing all sorts of crafts.

With all those hobbies keeping her busy, Madi really valued the flexibility of Oregon Connections Academy’s schedule. That’s one of the main things she will remember long after graduation. “I will appreciate the fact that when I was finished with my lessons, I didn’t have hours of homework in the evening, so I got to spend time doing other things and being with my family.”

Madi also believes the online learning environment better prepared her for life beyond high school.

“I think ORCA has helped me learn to manage my own life and deadlines without leaving everything to the last minute, which will help me in any jobs I get in the future.”

Enrollment is now underway for Oregon Connections Academy’s 2019-2020 school year. For more details about enrollment or the school call (800) 382-6010 or visit www.OregonConnectionsAcademy.com

###

About Oregon Connections Academy

Oregon Connections Academy is a tuition-free, high-quality, highly accountable online public charter school that serves students in grades K–12 across the state. The school is authorized by the Santiam Canyon School District. Oregon Connections Academy offers a flexible learning option to accommodate the needs of the modern student. The combination of highly-qualified teachers, personalized instruction, an award-winning curriculum, and a wide variety of community experiences creates a supportive and successful academic environment for families. Oregon Connections Academy is accredited by the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), an accrediting division of AdvancED. For more information, call 800-382-6010 or visit http://www.OregonConnectionsAcademy.com.

Laura Dillon, Outreach Manager

Oregon Connections Academy

(503) 779-3150 ldillon@orca.connectionsacademy.org