Jay

Meet Jay!

Having joined us in 2019, Jay is one of our OG students graduating from the virtual program this year. Throughout his time at The Open School, he discovered a passion for birding and biology and dedicated himself to exploring these interests in great depth. One of Jay’s proudest accomplishments was spotting a California condor in the wild—the first critically endangered species he had ever seen! Some of his favorite birds include the Steller’s jay, California quail, and Heermann’s gull! 

Through our partnership with ASU, Jay had the opportunity to take a college course in marine biology from March through May during his senior year. Although he already knew a lot about sea life, the class gave him the chance to expand his knowledge even more. He also grew his writing skills, as the course required him to regularly write about what he was learning, which gave him great practice. Jay finished the class with an excellent 97%! 

Jay is very proud of both his score in his marine biology class and the scores he has received on the practice ACT and GED tests he has been working on with his advisor, Pat. Jay shared that Pat has been very helpful in preparing him for the GED, and he appreciates how Pat encourages him in a supportive way without being harsh or strict.

Jay has also been working weekly with a past staff member and his former advisor Eric for math tutoring. He started tutoring over a year ago, and he is really grateful for the opportunity to meet with Eric on a weekly basis, as it has helped increase both his math skills and his confidence in the subject. 

Jay valued the freedom The Open School has given him to pursue the things he finds meaningful, live life on his own terms, and still be part of a connected community where he has made many fun memories. Some of his favorite memories include playing Jackbox Party Packs with friends and teaching one of his close friends, Teagan, how to dig for sand crabs at the beach during Camp IRL last year. 

As he prepares for his next steps, he shares that it will feel strange not to be a student here anymore. While he will miss the virtual community and enjoyed keeping up with what everyone was doing, he also feels ready to move on to new adventures.

For current and future students, Jay encourages them to take advantage of the funds available for materials and resources that support their learning, as well as enroll in ASU courses when possible. He shared that those classes provide a great introduction to college-level learning while also allowing students to earn college credit.

Looking ahead, Jay plans to continue taking virtual college classes before eventually transitioning to an in-person experience. He hopes to study wildlife biology and ecology and is interested in finding a job in those fields so he can continue working with and learning about the natural world!