Shining a Spotlight on: The McAlpin Family

Learning involves so much more than simply sitting in a class and listening to a teacher present a lesson. Learning should focus not just on academics, but also on independence, life skills, passions, and experiences. Sofia McAlpin, a 10th grader with Holston Academy, is seeing first-hand what her online education with Holston allows her to accomplish.

“Travel is the number one thing, for sure,” said Sofia. “If you told me two years ago I would be traveling the world while doing school, I would’ve called you crazy. This has been by far the most incredible experience I have had.”

Read on to learn more about Sofia’s experiences and why the McAlpin family loves the education Holston Academy offers.

Frustration in Traditional School

When Sofia was in traditional school, she dreamed of studying outside in the sunshine and learning about what interested her. Unfortunately, that’s not what she was experiencing. “Sofia was frustrated in traditional school,” explained her mother, Katarina. “She felt like she wasn’t learning much and just sat in school all day to pass her tests.”

Sofia, a quiet person by nature, also hesitated to ask questions in her school’s large group environment. This contributed to the family’s dissatisfaction with her education and led them to explore alternative solutions.

“Sofia feels challenged but not stressed out like in regular school. Having one-on-one attention in different subjects challenges her to think in more than one way. Now I watch her confidence grow through these opportunities to share her thoughts and be heard.”

Thriving in Online School

The McAlpin family’s search for other education options led them to Holston Academy. And it’s proven to be exactly what they wanted for Sofia. For one, Holston Academy challenges Sofia to think and learn differently, and to become an independent young woman. “I have noticed that she has grown in her analytical thinking,” said Katarina. “Sofia feels challenged but not stressed out like in regular school. Having one-on-one attention in different subjects challenges her to think in more than one way. Now I watch her confidence grow through these opportunities to share her thoughts and be heard.”

Just as important to Sofia and her family is the support they all receive from Holston Academy. Sofia never feels as if she’s alone in her online education, even though she has learned to work independently–something that didn’t come easily when she first started online learning. “Having the responsibility of organizing her work and staying on track was a challenge at first,” explained Katarina. “But she had to figure it out, and now we don’t have to tell her to write an email or contact a teacher or make sure she stays on track. She has learned to manage her time.”

There was certainly a learning curve for Sofia’s parents. Since Sofia is a responsible student, they assumed Sofia was handling everything smoothly in the beginning since she hadn’t mentioned anything. However, they soon learned that Sofia was actually unclear on certain school requirements, which caused her to temporarily fall behind. “We had to take responsibility and ownership that we didn’t supervise and guide her as we should have at the beginning,” conceded Katarina. “It takes time to ensure the child is capable of getting into a flow to be able to stay on track. We learned a very important lesson…review your child’s work daily until they become independent. We learned how to break things down, organize each week, and reach out to the school with any needs.”

And the school was happy to help! With the support of Holston Academy’s teachers and Academic Coach, Sofia and her parents rebounded quickly. “The teachers were amazing! They guided her and us on how to catch up, were very accommodating with their extra time, and didn’t make us feel like failures.

“All her teachers have been amazing in supporting her and making sure she understands the material before she moves on,” continued Katarina. “She has one-on-one meetings several times a week, gets all her questions answered, and loves learning. She comes to me and tells me about her conversations with her teachers.”

Sofia agrees with her mom. “I have had lots of laughs with all of my teachers during our meetings. They all have had a really big impact on me,” she said. “They have been the biggest help when it comes to organizing schedules. We have come up with schedules for meetings and even when to complete work.”

Time to Pursue Her Passions

Katarina is from Slovakia, and the Slovak culture runs deep within the McAlpin family though they reside in Aurora, Colorado. With Katarina’s family still in her home country, she and Sofia have visited frequently from the time Sofia was born. Learning about her heritage and forming lasting relationships with her relatives in Slovakia has long been a priority for Sofia. The family just couldn’t figure out a way to allow that to happen without her schoolwork being impacted. Until they found Holston Academy.

“Sofia wants to spend time in Slovakia, and we were trying to figure out how to make that happen,” said Katarina. “We found Holston, and it was a perfect opportunity. Being able to fly to Slovakia to see her grandparents and cousins, or to Arizona to visit her other grandparents and cousins, or to Texas to see her friends has helped her become an independent young woman and given her opportunities to see beyond American culture and view the world from different perspectives.”

Sofia is excited about the trip, to say the least. And she’s not worried about having to miss school, either. “I am traveling to Slovakia to spend a couple of months learning a new culture and spending time with family,” she said. “Since I will not be in the USA, Holston Academy offers me a great opportunity to achieve my educational goals while I am away.”                                                    

Along with traveling, Sofia has a passion for music–specifically the drums. “I love music,” she explained. “I play the drums and it’s definitely a big part of my life. Being able to listen to music all day just makes me so happy and motivated.

“Plus, I’ve been able to talk to my teachers about my love for music and incorporate it into my schoolwork. That just makes the experience even better than it already is!”

That’s just scratching the surface of Sofia’s long list of interests, however. Online education at Holston Academy has also made it possible for Sofia to pursue a wide range of passions and activities, without adding extra stress to her life.

“I am teaching myself to skateboard. I love learning new languages, and I aspire to travel the world and experience different cultures and see new places,” she said. Sofia also works at the local food bank, helps clean up parks, assists pet shelters with making toys, and spends time at a nearby nursing home. “That’s why I think Holston Academy is great for me.”

There’s another reason Sofia loves learning independently online: “I do my schoolwork everywhere! My favorite is outside when it isn’t freezing, my floor, or my bed. I love being able to move around and do my schoolwork comfortably,” she explained.

Sometimes it’s the little things.

“It’s so great to see her with her computer in the backyard doing her studies with her dogs by her side,” said Katarina.

“I think this school is the perfect fit for me to really feel confident in my learning, and without this opportunity that wouldn’t be possible.”

The Perfect Education for Sofia

Traditional schooling works for some students and their families. For others, it doesn’t. That’s where alternative and online education solutions such as Holston Academy step in. While most families who switch from traditional school to online school experience a brief transition period, like the McAlpins did, the education each child receives can be life-changing.

An online education like the one middle and high schoolers receive from Holston Academy not only provides them with the academics they need to thrive at the next level, but also the independence that is necessary in every stage of life. Plus, it offers the flexibility to learn whenever and wherever students want while allowing ample time for them to enjoy all that life has to offer.

“My education is very important to me, and my parents want me to be independent in my learning and they want me to learn the way I learn best,” said Sofia. “I think this school is the perfect fit for me to really feel confident in my learning, and without this opportunity that wouldn’t be possible.”      

Katarina took it a step further. “Our dream has always been to travel and let the kids learn through life experiences,” she explained. “Having Sofia experience this education gave us a glimpse into how we could make this possible.”

Watch our video spotlight of the McAlpins below. For more information on Holston Academy and our education options, visit the About Us section of our website.