Meet Janet: A Swiftie, Parrot Enthusiast, and Future Graphic Designer Soaring Through Online Learning 

For the past seven years, 16-year-old Janet has been a student at Arizona Virtual Academy (AZVA). Each year, she has experienced success through the flexibility of online learning, the connections she’s made, and the path she’s charting for herself. 

Janet and her family were originally from Seattle, Washington but traded the rainy skies for the desert sun. During their move, they discovered that traditional education wasn’t serving Janet’s needs. Once she transitioned to virtual education, her family found the flexibility allowed for more focus, growth and learning at Janet’s pace.  

While online learning suited Janet immediately, she understands that it takes a lot of commitment and dedication. Her advice for anyone considering online school is: “If you want to learn at your own pace and push yourself, it’s one of the best fits. But you have to be a self-starter.” 

That self-discipline, she explains, is one of the most misunderstood parts of online learning. She shares that while online learning provides flexibility, it also calls for strong habits of self-motivation and time management. Staying on top of assignments and keeping a consistent schedule helps students stay engaged and in control of their learning.  

But when done right, it can be an incredibly rewarding and successful learning experience. Janet’s favorite subject is math, and she enjoys problem solving, puzzles and being challenged academically.  

Janet has taken career and technical education (CTE) courses at AZVA and discovered a new passion through her elective classes. She’s always enjoyed art and coloring, even joining the coloring club at AZVA, but a career path began to take shape when she enrolled in a digital arts course. That’s when she developed a strong interest in graphic design, especially in using tools like Inkscape. Janet plans to continue studying graphic design in college and pursue a career in the field.  

In addition to exploring graphic design, Janet dreams of one day opening a parrot shop or sanctuary where her feathered friends can thrive. She is a passionate animal advocate; she currently has three parrots of her own and finds them fascinating animals, who not only talk but understand emotions deeply.  

She has also built strong connections with her instructors, especially Mrs. Christopher, Mrs. Roper and Mr. Cooper, who make every lesson fun and engaging while helping her retain information.  

When she is not attending classes, honing her design skills, or caring for her parrots, Janet can be found listening to Taylor Swift, going on walks or baking treats for her loved ones.    

After seven years with AZVA, it’s clear that Janet embodies everything online learning strives for: curiosity, independence and the confidence to learn her own way. Whether she’s baking pastries, solving math puzzles, or designing her next digital masterpiece, Janet is proving that education doesn’t need to fit just one mold. 

To learn more about AZVA or to enroll today, visit: https://azva.k12.com/