School Choice Week

Aroha Lousich, a Salem-area tenth grader, is making waves both in and out of the pool. With aspirations to compete at the NCAA level, and someday at the Olympics, Aroha trains four hours a day while keeping strong grades and exploring STEM, and she does it all while going to school online. Her family first turned to online learning during the pandemic, and Aroha quickly discovered that the structure and support allowed her to truly thrive. Today, she continues to excel in high school athletics, placing 9th in the 50 freestyle and 10th in the 100 freestyles at district as a freshman varsity swimmer earlier this year. She hopes to one day attend Stanford University, where she can continue both her swimming and engineering studies. Aroha highlights that she was able to find balance between her rigorous training schedule as a competitive swimmer and her education through her online public school, Cascade Virtual Academy.

Aroha shares that online school has given her the flexibility to chase her dreams. “When I have swim meets far away, I can still do schoolwork,” she said. The program’s hands-on science labs using delivered-to-home science kits and supportive teachers have also helped her build confidence and independence as a learner. Her story shines a light on how virtual education is helping Oregon students take charge of their futures, balancing school, sports and activities, and career ambitions with success in all.

Cascade Virtual Academy (CVA) is a tuition-free online public charter school serving Oregon students in kindergarten through 12th grade. With a focus on flexibility and individualized learning, CVA helps students build a strong educational foundation. As a K12-powered school, CVA benefits from 25 years of leadership in online learning.