For motivated students such as Madison Bishop, having the right tools and support systems to accomplish your goals is invaluable.
Madison, a senior at South Carolina Virtual Charter School (SCVCS), has always had the goal of becoming a nurse. “I’ve always loved science and anatomy, and understanding how our bodies function,” she said. She’s not the first person in her family with this goal, as her grandmother is a retired nurse. In the fall, Madison plans on attending Anderson University, a private liberal arts college in Anderson, SC to pursue a nursing degree.
Over the last six years, her school has uniquely helped Madison achieve this dream, providing her with rigor and opportunities she could not find in a brick-and-mortar school. “I’ve gone through all of their honors classes, and it’s so different because it’s all very college-based,” she said. She shared that her teachers have been committed to in-depth explorations of the material they’re learning. They’ve provided Madison with a love of learning that extends beyond just her favorite courses.
Even more, attending an online school as given her the freedom to use various outside educational resources, without the restrictions of a traditional school. She’s also gained skills as a virtual student that will help her in college. “You have to learn productivity,” she said. “And you have to be organized, you can’t just sit there. You have to write everything down and plan, and my school has really helped me be prepared for that.”
SCVCS provided Madison with the foundation she needs to excel in college, and it introduced her to Tallo, an app designed to connect high school students and young professionals with college and career opportunities. “Originally I used it to get connected to colleges, so bigger schools like Clemson would see me,” she said. The application allows students to import data such as their GPA, test scores, and involvement in order to pair them with schools. “They can look at your profile, and you can really build a relationship with a college,” Madison said. Prospective students can also view school profiles. Madison used the app to look at various colleges and decide whether or not she wanted to go to a big university.
The application also helped her fund her college education. Madison said, “When I decided to go to Anderson, I switched to using it for scholarships. I can apply for almost every scholarship you can find.”
Madison has skillfully used available resources, such as Tallo, throughout her high school career. Her hard work has paid off. In addition to her college acceptance, this year she was celebrated by Boeing during their STEM signing day. Thanks to her natural drive and her education, she is more than prepared to start nursing school this year, with the eventual dream of working in the NICU.
To learn more about South Carolina Virtual Charter School, please visit scvcs.k12.com
