What I'm thankful for this season

To the editor,

As the holiday season arrives, I wanted to recognize something I’m very thankful for – my ability to choose the best education option for me. My educational journey began 17 years ago in a neonatal intensive-care unit incubator. I was born two months early and diagnosed with a brain uniqueness known as complete-Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum, which means I am missing the bundle of nerves that connects the two hemispheres of my brain. I’m smart, but I’m not a traditional student. Learning can be a challenge, but thankfully, because I live in South Carolina, I have educational options and I have been able to find the best school for me. I have been a virtual learner for seven and a half years and this coming spring, I will receive my high school diploma from the virtual public school South Carolina Connections Academy! When I was younger, my parents did not know what was in store for me. They were unsure if I’d be able to graduate from high school, and college didn’t seem like an option at the time. However, thanks to school choice and the support I’ve gotten from virtual education, I will not only be graduating this spring, but I was recently accepted into Arizona State University’s Online Degree Program! This season is extraordinarily special to me when I reflect about graduating from high school and my future as a Sun Devil next fall!
 
Cassidy Purcell
Greer