Photo provided by Mia Nolte.
Mia Nolte ’19
Mia Nolte opted out of the traditional high school career and instead is now training at the Houston Ballet Company and continuing her studies online.
WSS: What is your graduation year?
Mia Nolte: 2019
WSS: What school do you attend?
MN: Iowa Connections Academy Online School
WSS: Is it online or in person?
MN: Online, but I have to have weekly calls with the homeroom teacher to check in.
WSS: Why did you originally look into going to this school?
MN: I looked into online school for schedule mainly. Having to spend much less time with school, and it being so flexible to me, it was a lot easier for me to be at the [dance] studio more in the mornings taking classes and then doing school throughout the day.
WSS: What is one thing you miss about going to public school?
MN: I definitely miss being around more people. Being in Houston(for dance), I am always around people to do [online] school with, but it is different from roaming the halls and being social like at a regular high school.
WSS: What is one thing you don’t miss about public school?
MN: The one thing I do not really miss about public school is all of the time I was there. I find that when I can focus and do school on my own it takes so much less time and I can still accomplish a lot.
WSS: Why did you end up choosing to go to this school?
MN: I chose this school because it was one of the few, but best options.
WSS: How is it different from public school?
MN: It is different because I need to be focused and motivated on my own to do schoolwork without a teacher constantly there for me.
WSS: How is it similar to public school?
MN: The classes I take and materials I use (textbooks) are mostly the same as West.
WSS: What is one positive impact your schooling has had on your life?
MN: It definitely gave me more time for my dancing and that was the goal to start.
WSS: What is one negative impact it has had on your life?
MN: Honestly, I cannot think of one negative impact it has had on my life. Really just not being with my friends.
WSS: What is the thing you miss most?
MN: Being away from my friends, definitely. It was hard at first to not be sitting at a lunch table or talking in the hallways, but I got used to it, because I knew I started online school for a reason.