10th-grader, Abigail Baker, Enjoys Flexibility and Open Communication

10-grader Abigail Baker, from West Pittsburg, PA, enrolled at PA Distance in 6th-grade. Since then, she has enjoyed the flexibility and open communication, between herself and her teachers, at PA Distance.

“I love the teachers. They meet one-on-one with us a lot. For example, last night I messaged my Math teacher and she helped me,” she said. “My teachers and my counselor are available when I need them.”

“Abby is a wonderful student! It is always a pleasure to see her in class and assemblies,” School Counselor, Mrs. Buncic, said. “It has been an absolute delight being her counselor and getting to know her this year!!”

Abigail’s favorite classes are Communications and U.S. History and she enjoys attending her live learning classes each week. 

“I like my Communications class because I am very involved in public speaking at my Church and it has helped me improve those skills,” she said. “And, I don’t have a favorite teacher because they're all great.”

“Abby is very active in live class discussion. She is always willing to share her opinion and support her classmates,” U.S. History teacher, Ms. Smailek, said.

After she graduates from High School, Abigail is thinking about pursuing a career as a psychologist in the criminal justice field. 

“I really love watching Criminal Minds and after looking into it more and doing some research, I thought it would be an interesting field to get into,” she said.

She’s looking into attending Grove City College or Geneva College to pursue these dreams. 

In her free time, Abigail enjoys cooking at home and alongside PA Distance’s Cooking Club instructor, Ms. Petraglia. During Cooking Club, students learn to make a variety of recipes from start to finish using different cooking techniques and skills. Students participate by following along with Ms. Petraglia’s demonstration and some students even lead demonstrations themselves.

“My favorite is Baked Ziti. My mom calls it my signature dish,” Abigail said. She has also learned to make a Quiche, Chicken Cordon Bleu, and BBQ Pulled Chicken over Macaroni & Cheese. 

“I’ve loved cooking since I was little,” she said. “My first memory of cooking was when I made my mom breakfast for Mother’s Day. I made her two pieces of toast and a hotdog,” she said with a laugh. 

Although Abigail still has two years left at PA Distance, she reflects on her experience these last 4 years and looks forward to continuing her education. 

“PA Distance is a great school because if you need help or can’t figure something out, all you have to do is reach out to a teacher and you can meet with them one-on-one,” she said. “The schedule flexibility is really great too.”

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About PA Distance Learning Charter School

Since 2004, PA Distance has been providing a welcoming virtual learning environment for students in grades K-12 across Pennsylvania. Students at PA Distance engage in a blended environment that combines “synchronous” and “asynchronous” learning. PA Distance’s mission is to blend proven classroom teaching techniques with educational technologies to promote academic growth for all students.