As the school year comes to an end, some students are looking forward to summer break, then returning to JVA or another high school. For seniors, they’re looking forward to the end of their high school experience and preparing for the adult world. We decided to collect the reflections of some of this year’s seniors and their time at JVA. Whether they’ve been here for years or just a year, they’re graduating from Jeffco Virtual Academy and have some things to say!
Eliza G:
When did you start attending JVA?
I started attending JVA in 9th grade. I’ve been here for all of high school!
Has attending an online school helped you in any way? This can be in sports, mental health, etc…
For the first few years, JVA gave me time to do dog training and to compete in dog agility with my Australian shepherd, Cascade. I had the flexibility to train more during the day, go to training classes during the week, and to compete on Fridays. Attending JVA has also helped me find what I’m most passionate about by giving me time to explore things and think about what I want to do in the future.
What’s been your favorite moment or your favorite memory here at JVA? If you have multiple, feel free to share them all! This can be inside or outside of school.
I have a few. First of all, for all four years, it’s been really fun to have my dogs next to me. If I ever needed a short break, I could just get up and pet them for a few minutes. Even looking into my Aussie’s eyes gave me a new burst of energy and focus to continue schoolwork. As for school itself, the most memorable and fun thing I ever did was in Psychology class. Its final was an experiment I conducted myself. I chose something aligning with my other interests, and made a Google Form where people chose which animal out of two options they thought was more dangerous. It helped me learn a lot about what people thought of animals. Analyzing my results was really fun, but even just the setup of the Google Form and the planning for it was too!
If any class you’ve taken at JVA has stood out to you, what is it and why?
Marine biology, Intro to Forensics, Anthropology, and Psychology were all really fun. Marine biology tapped into my love for animals and nature, and the others taught me new and interesting things. I also really enjoyed Biology. I learned a lot of helpful information in the class. And, of course, the Newspaper class has been really fun. I wasn’t sure what to expect when I agreed to be part of the class, but it’s been extremely fun and something that I’ve looked forward to every week.
Has any teacher really stood out to you? If so, share who and why!
Mrs. Conrad, Mrs. Ugander, and Ms. Long have all stood out to me. They’re all very kind and helpful and have very interesting classes. I think they helped me a lot during my learning and in their respective classes. Mr. Bennecke has also stood out a lot. His classes are very fun and interesting, and the way he sets up his classes has been very helpful for me.
Do you have anything else to say about JVA?
I have absolutely no regrets choosing to come here for high school. I’ve had a lot of fun at this school and have learned many things, about numerous subjects and about myself.
What advice would you give to next year’s seniors?
Senior year goes by fast, so use every moment of it! It may not be very helpful to wait till the last second to turn things in.
Johnny W:
When did you start attending JVA?
I started attending JVA in 9th grade during COVID-19 and continued after everything went back to normal in order to have more time focusing on creativity outside of school.
Has attending an online school helped you in any way? This can be in sports, mental health, etc…
By attending school online, I’ve been able to hone in on what I want to do later in life and use the vital principles being taught at JVA to accomplish my goals. In my time online, I’ve made four films and countless tracks and albums. I’ve written and drawn so much that I’m almost constantly creating, and that’s the power of online school. While you still have to put in a lot of hard work, your schedule every week is essentially your own. Once I’ve put in the work to finish assignments, I can just freely create and spend time with my family, and that’s had an extremely positive effect on my mental health. If I’m not creating, doing something with my time, I become something of a madman, and in the best possible way JVA has staved off the madness that comes from a lack of working on what I love.
What’s been your favorite moment or your favorite memory here at JVA? If you have multiple, feel free to share them all! This can be inside or outside of school.
I really enjoyed any time I was able to flex my creative abilities through assignments – the choice project in Ms. Long’s class where I made an original song was a particular highlight. I know I keep going on about creativity, but if it’s absent in schoolwork, the fun is lost and assignments are just boring assignments. Whatever the setting, you need an outlet to express yourself, and so I loved when teachers let me have creative control over how I reflected my learning. I also loved JVA’s in-person dances at Hudson Gardens – I am by no means a dancer, but my partner and I danced like nobody was watching. While I’ve loved online school, those events are something you can only experience in person, and both of them that I attended were truly special.
If any class you’ve taken at JVA has stood out to you, what is it and why?
I’ve really enjoyed Ms. Long’s English class this year, as well as Mr. Heidenfelder’s photography class and Mr. Newland’s Survey of Rock: Music Appreciation class. In English, we’ve covered a variety of writing styles and thinking that have been extremely beneficial to how I consume and interpret art, so it’s been more than relevant to my real life that’s defined by studying and making creative projects. Mr. Heidenfelder’s photography class is also very creativity-based, and a lot of fun for getting out of the house and framing compositions in the wild. Mr. Newland’s Rock class is the closest thing JVA has to Jack Black’s School of Rock, and it’s an awesome, insightful elective for fans of rock music wanting to learn more about the greats and the roots of the genre.
Has any teacher really stood out to you? If so, share who and why!
I have too many to count! Ms. Long, Mrs. Conrad, Mr. Bennecke, Mrs. Hill, Mrs. Hetzel, Mr. Newland and Mr. Heidenfelder (to name a few) have all been outstanding in their teaching, communication and student support, and I truly believe that JVA has some of the best teaching staff in the entire district.
Do you have anything else to say about JVA?
I would recommend JVA to literally any student, no matter what school experience they’ve had in the past. It has provided me with tons of valuable teaching and motivation towards pursuing my own creative path, and I would absolutely encourage others to embrace the possibilities of virtual learning for their own lives.
What advice would you give to next year’s seniors?
Do not overthink your senior year, and prime yourself for success instead of stress. Put in your best effort to complete your assignments and crush your last year of high school with confidence!
