What Online School Looks Like: A Student Day in the Life Q&A With Jayla

See how and why online school works for Jayla in this Student Advisory Council blog series.

By: Jayla R., 12th grade student and SAC intern

K12 asked this year’s Student Advisory Council cohort what makes online school so great and here’s what our own Jayla had to say.

My K12 Why

Why did you switch to North Carolina Virtual Academy (NCVA)?

I went to traditional brick-and-mortar school for kindergarten and the start of elementary school. I started online school in 3rd grade and have stuck with it ever since.

The education in the area I was living in at the time was really uneven. I wasn’t being challenged. So, for the betterment of our education, my brother and I started online learning with NCVA.

How was the transition?

Education-wise, it was easy. At the time, I really liked being home and had more time to play. I’ve always loved learning. It felt more hands-on learning things that I hadn’t been taught in my other school, like cursive writing. That feeling of having full control and feeling closer to a researcher in comparison to a student hasn’t changed, and I really like it.

Socially though, I struggled since I’ve always been an extrovert. When I first joined NCVA, it wasn’t something I really noticed. But as I got older, the social isolation hit hard. The people around me were having so many cool in-person experiences with their school—like going on field trips or staying overnight at their school—and I wasn’t able to experience or relate to that. But I also wasn’t involved in anything outside of school.

Getting involved in school clubs helped with that a lot. I end up becoming the closest with those on my council team but I have a lot of fun moments with all the general members too.

My Online School Day

Can you describe a typical day and week for your virtual school experience at NCVA?

My day to day is fuzzy, mostly because I’m involved so much! I’m the President of SkillsUSA and National Honor Society, and a member and writer for the Student Council so I’m called into meetings regularly.

My week as it stands (my college classes change every 8 weeks), is my 3D modeling class from 3 to 4:50 PM Monday through Thursday. I have SkillsUSA every week on Tuesday at 3 PM, National Honor Society at 2 PM every other Wednesday, and then Student Council sessions vary and include sessions where I write for the student newsletter. I also take a paralegal course through my local college. I’m able to do that one at my leisure since it’s completely online with no live classes.

Normally, I do all my club work from around 7 AM (or whenever I wake up) to around 2 or 3 PM. Then I do my schoolwork that isn’t in my live classes in the evening.

What classes are you taking right now?

I’m taking only college classes! I completed all my high school credits last year but didn’t want to opt in for early graduation—so I’m taking all electives as college classes. Currently, I’m in the Paralegal and Digital Effects and Technology CTE (career technical education) pathways. I am taking commercial law 1 and 3D modeling.

Can you talk about your dual enrollment experience with your college classes?

Oh, I love dual enrollment! I feel like I genuinely have even MORE time than just what online school offers which is crazy. I will say that I do my Career and College Prep courses entirely online at my college as well.

I feel like I’m really working toward what I want to do in my future. My college is split into two terms per semester, each one eight weeks long. I take two classes a term.

I also have a lot of cool opportunities with dual enrollment since I get treated like any other student at the college. I’ve participated in two film competitions with my college and it’s been amazing!

The Social Side of Online School

How do you stay connected with friends? Have you met friends through online school?

In middle school, they really encouraged group work which helped me make some close friends. The BIGGEST thing that helped me with my social is the various clubs offered at NCVA. I lead and am a part of a wide range of clubs where I’ve been able to express my creativity. That’s brought a completely new meaning to my education and has allowed me to form genuine, close bonds with people, specifically those I work with in my club council.

Are you in any school clubs?

Yeah, of course! I’ve been in a LOT of clubs throughout my middle and high school career. My favorites though have been the National Honor Societies, SkillsUSA, Middle School Battle of the Books, and the Yearbook Committee. For all the clubs I’ve named, I’ve been in a Vice or Presidential position or was a Student Advisor, so I have a lot of say in how the clubs are run which is where the creativity comes in.

In day-to-day meetings for clubs like SkillsUSA and the Jr./Sr. National Honor Societies, my council creates large fun games for everyone to play like Family Feud, Is It Cake, Jeopardy, and more. In terms of events, SkillsUSA is currently in the process of producing a storybook, play, and coloring book for the elementary schoolers—all from scratch! In the National Honor Society, we ran a program called the “Virtuous Ventures Program” where the high school students essentially had to take on different quests in order to prove their character. In Student Council, we created an interactive play-murder mystery.

I’ve seen people evolve in these clubs too. People who are super timid start to express their ideas, wants, and needs because of how open and engaging the clubs are.

My Future

What do you want to do after high school?

I plan on owning my own production company. I don’t only want to produce films, but every creative event and part of the entertainment industry—music videos, theatre, runway shows, and more. My goal is to show that you can be a part of the industry without being predatory or exploitative despite being large. I also want to have a college under my company’s umbrella to give more students in the creative industry a direct line to job opportunities.

Do you feel that online school is helping you prepare for the future?

I do. I’m able to practice various types of production and management through my clubs. Like I said, SkillsUSA is producing a play and as President. I’ve also written proposals to my school’s administration to do various events, so I have plenty of opportunities to farm real world experience.

With classes outside NCVA, my school gives me all the support I need to be successful and proficient in my course work. Online school also gives me control of what classes I take so that I can build my subjects and schedule around what I want to do. The K12 curriculum is so challenging and interesting that I’ve expanded my horizons on what I want to do and what I believe is possible for me to achieve.

Thank you, Jayla! To learn more about the K12 Student Advisory Council, visit their webpage, or see how your student can thrive in online school with K12-powered programs in North Carolina.

Jayla is a 2025 student at a K12-powered school in NC, and their statement reflects their experience at their school.